AI & Oral Bible Translation

Insights from the ETEN Innovation Lab Strategy Leaders

Two members of the ETEN Innovation Lab, Chris Klapp, Multimodal Translation Technology Strategy Leader and Andy Kellogg, Quality Assurance Strategy Leader, recently attended the OBT Global Gathering in Bali, Indonesia. Following their participation, they shared key takeaways and perspectives in an interview.

Alignment with Innovation Lab Quality Assurance Recommendations

They began by expressing admiration for OBT’s widespread reach and diversity. Chris underscored OBT’s rapid expansion, cultural richness and focus on early church involvement. He noted that these factors align with the Innovation Lab’s recommendations, particularly the emphasis on equipping local churches to produce quality translations.

Andy echoed Chris’s sentiments, highlighting the value of broadening participation and using a variety of approaches. He explained how these efforts directly address the challenges of achieving the All Access Goals. He also praised OBT’s multimodal strategy, acknowledging the importance of spoken language, visual cues and written text. This approach creates a more inclusive and accessible translation process. To provide context, the Innovation Lab set forth their official QA recommendations in 2023, which included:

• Multimodal Translation Processes Beginning with Orality and Visuality

• Equip the Church for Quality Translation

• Iterative Quality Assurance by the Church and Community

• Meeting the All Access Goals in Church Based Bible Translation

Overall Reflections on the Gathering

Given this affirming feedback, we were curious to hear their overall reflections on the Gathering in Indonesia and its impact on the future of Oral Bible Translation.

Andy was positively impacted by Brian Harmelink’s keynote presentation, which introduced the transformative concept of “conversational discovery.” Harmelink introduced this concept as a fourth element crucial to Oral Bible Translation (OBT), building upon the established FIA process (familiarization, internalization, articulation). 

This fourth element, centered on dialogue and interaction, highlights the communal aspect inherent to understanding Scripture within the OBT process. It’s through engaging with each other in conversation that people collaboratively uncover and articulate the Bible’s meaning in their own language.

Chris Klapp noted the remarkable consistency among the various organizations and teams involved in OBT. Despite their diverse backgrounds and cultures, these groups shared many common elements at a high level. Klapp found this encouraging and believed it indicated a growing alignment within the OBT community.

Leveraging AI for Enhanced OBT

Andy and Chris discussed the breakout session that the Lab hosted, titled “How AI can enhance OBT.” The session explored how potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) could enhance Oral Bible Translation (OBT).

Key Takeaways:

• AI’s Role: AI can play a significant role in supporting translators, improving audio quality and facilitating the transcription of minority languages.

• Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing: Sharing insights and resources among organizations and individuals of the OBT community will be essential to maximizing the benefits AI technology can bring.

• Overall Optimism Surrounds AI Integration: The general sentiment among participants leaned toward enthusiasm for AI’s potential to improve Oral Bible Translation. While some were newer to the concept, a notable portion expressed confidence in AI’s ability to benefit the OBT process.

Specific Applications:

• Voice Masking: AI can be used to mask or modify voices in audio recordings to protect privacy or security. Andy demonstrated how a five-second voice sample can be used to generate a synthetic voice, mimicking the original but with a different accent or even language. This technology can shield the identities of individuals facing persecution or discrimination.

• Noise Reduction: AI can significantly enhance audio quality by removing background noise, particularly beneficial for recordings made in challenging environments, such as remote villages or conflict zones.

• Transcription: AI can transcribe minority languages, even for those previously unwritten, aiding language preservation and the development of written resources.

• Orthography Development: AI can assist in developing orthographies for unwritten languages by suggesting potential spelling systems based on related languages. This can help to standardize written forms of these languages and make them more accessible to speakers and learners.

Overall, the breakout session highlighted the growing interest in AI and its potential to revolutionize Bible translation. As AI technology continues to advance, the OBT community must actively seek innovative ways to harness its power to better serve the global church.

AI in OBT: Challenges and Opportunities

Next, Andy and Chris identified the main challenges hindering the widespread adoption of AI in OralBible Translation.

• Rapid Technological Advancements: The fast-paced evolution of AI makes it difficult to (a) determine the optimal timing for technology investments, (b) discern the potential impact of new tools and techniques on OBT workflows, and (c) assess their long-term viability.

• Hardware Requirements: AI often demands powerful hardware and reliable internet, resources that may be scarce in remote or resource-limited areas of many OBT contexts.

• Language Data: High-quality language data is crucial for training and fine-tuning AI models, posing a challenge for minority languages, which may have limited digital resources.

• Language Variability: The diversity within languages can impact AI model performance, often requiring user-specific prompts for tailored output.

• Domain Expertise: Bridging the gap between AI technologists and OBT experts is essential to ensure AI solutions meet the unique needs of the OBT process.

To address these challenges, Chris Klapp suggested:

• Balancing Short-term and Long-term Goals: Strategic investment in AI technologies is crucial for successful OBT integration. Organizations should carefully select tools and techniques that align with their long-term goals while remaining adaptable to the rapid evolution of assisted translation technologies.

• Leveraging AI’s Strengths: Focusing on areas where AI can provide significant benefits, such as noise reduction, transcription and orthography development.

• Building Datasets for Minority Languages: Proactively collect and curate high-quality data for minority languages to enable effective AI model training.

• Addressing the Hardware Limitations: Explore solutions to enable AI access in remote communities, such as an offline large language model that is currently being developed. This valuable technology could allow these communities to access language resources and engage in language-related tasks without relying on a constant internet connection.

• Fostering Collaboration: Bridge the gap between technologists and domain experts to ensure AI solutions are tailored to the specific needs and challenges of OBT.

Impactful Moments

When asked about his most impactful experience at the Gathering, Chris shared the inspiring story of the Mamboro people group on Sumba Island.

Through an OBT project, the Mamboro translated key portions of the Bible into their own language. As they engaged with Scripture, they experienced a renewed sense of faith and a deeper understanding of God’s Word. This spiritual awakening revitalized their church community, as members became more engaged and committed to their faith.

Inspired by their own transformation, the Mamboro people began sharing their faith with others. They actively sought out friends and family members, inviting them to learn about Jesus and participate in their church community. This outreach resulted in over 30 people coming to Christ and joining the church.

The story of the Mamboro people group is more than just statistics. It is a powerful testament to OBT’s potential to transform individuals and communities. By engaging with Scripture in their own language, the Mamboro people deepened their faith, strengthened relationships and shared the Gospel with remarkable impact.

Their journey offers valuable lessons for other OBT communities, demonstrating the power of OBT to revitalize churches, foster community engagement and promote personal growth. By learning from the Mamboro’s challenges and triumphs, other communities can apply these insights to their own OBT initiatives.