Assisted Translation Technology Accelerates Scripture Access in Indonesia

Pilot program aids Napu Bible translation

An Assisted Translation Technology Bible pilot program took place in Indonesia earlier this year, thanks to the time and effort of the Napu translation team. After completing consultant checks for the New Testament and ten Old Testament books, the team responded to the GKST church’s request for a full Bible by leading Assisted Translation Technology (ATT) experiments to translate 1 Samuel and Isaiah. The purpose of the pilot program was to evaluate how effectively these innovative tools could support Bible translation, while also serving as a proof of concept in preparation for an Old Testament Cluster with 3-5 languages that is planned to start in 2025.

By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, ATT suggests improvements and automates repetitive tasks. However, the final decisions and nuanced work stay firmly in human hands. This careful balance ensures translators perfectly capture the original text’s tone, style, and cultural meaning. Rather than replacing human translators, the technology serves as a powerful complement to their expertise. As demonstrated by the Napu translation team, this collaboration helps translators maintain high standards of trustworthy quality while dramatically accelerating the drafting process. 

The program was conducted over a span of three months. It relied on Scripture Forge software and involved the use of three different ATT configurations and two Indonesian Bible versions—both of which are published by the Indonesian Bible Society. Terjemahan Baru (TB) is a literal version of the Bible that is widely accepted and used by churches throughout Indonesia. Bahasa Indonesia Masa Kini (BIMK) is a meaning-based version that uses the Good News and Today’s English Version (TEV) of the Bible as its foundation. 

Initial preparation for the program required the standardization of back translations. While the back translations for the New Testament and Genesis were in English, nine Old Testament books were back translated in Indonesian, which is structurally like Napu. The team leveraged ATT tools to convert all English back translations to Indonesian, then carefully revised them to align with the Napu translation. Having a single language (Indonesian) for the back translation for the New Testament and ten Old Testament books proved to be crucial. Once completed, new Scripture drafts could be generated at a much faster rate, helping to dramatically accelerate the translation process.      

The Scripture Forge platform proved remarkably efficient, not just because it shortened the back translation process from a days-long task to one that takes just six or seven hours, but because the resulting text was of trustworthy quality. While minor edits for clarity and formatting adjustments were needed (such as the reinsertion of poetry markers that were automatically stripped), these were easily handled by team members.

Importantly, the Napu team maintained the same thorough revision process as they would for mother-tongue drafted Scripture materials. Their comprehensive review process included team checks of 1 Samuel chapters 1-5 and Isaiah chapters 1-5, using the Indonesian Translation Handbooks as a resource. They gathered input from the GKST church reviewers, the local community, and an exegetical reviewer from New Zealand. The consultant checks were performed through remote collaboration via Paratext and live Zoom sessions with uninitiated native speakers.

The three-month pilot program produced promising results. Those involved expressed appreciation for the overall quality of the ATT-generated Scripture drafts as well as the prompt responses from all those who helped in the process. About two-thirds of the generated drafts were retained through the quality control checks and revisions, specifically 65%+ of 1 Samuel 1-5 and 66%+ of Isaiah 1-5. The team found the generated drafts particularly valuable in helping to maintain consistency, especially in the usage of key Biblical terms, formatting, and spelling. Comprehension checks revealed strong understanding of both narrative texts (1 Samuel 1-5) and prophetic passages (Isaiah 1-5), leading to their approval for publication. The ATT program also demonstrated that what once took days or weeks to draft could now be generated overnight, though human revision remained essential for ensuring natural, clear translation. 

The pilot program also revealed key considerations about source translations. While the use of two Indonesian Bible versions proved useful (TB and BIMK), future ATT translation efforts would benefit from finding the right balance between literal and meaning-based approaches. Having access to an alternative meaning-based source text in Indonesian (like the New Living Translation in English) would help maintain the poetic and literary features while providing clear, natural language. Options are currently being explored, as this approach could significantly reduce revision time while ensuring quality and accuracy.

The Napu ATT pilot program’s success has paved the way for more translation projects, as the team plans to continue using Scripture Forge to complete 1 Samuel by the end of this year. In 2025, the team will join a cluster project involving 2-4 neighboring languages as they work toward completing full Bibles in each language.

The project’s impact is already evident in the enthusiastic response from translators and church leaders. “We found it to be much more helpful to start with an AI draft rather than starting from scratch,” notes the Napu team coordinator. The exegetical reviewer observed that “the draft they came up with using AI was far better than what the translation team was able to do on their own.” Additionally, the pastor speaking on behalf of the GKST Synod, encouraged the continued use of the ATT program “for the glory of God.”

The Napu ATT pilot program demonstrates how the technology can serve as a powerful accelerator in Bible translation while ensuring that it is high-quality and accurate. ATT won’t replace the essential human elements of translation, such as the deep understanding of language, culture, and Biblical truth. Instead, it offers unprecedented opportunities to speed up initial drafting, ensure consistency, and reduce the time it takes to bring God’s Word to waiting communities. The success of this pilot program paves the way for a future where human expertise and artificial intelligence work together to bring Scripture to every language more efficiently than ever before.