Is AI Translating Tamil Literature? Publishers On New Technology

A recent Tamil translation of Umberto Eco’s ‘The name of the rose’ made headlines not for its long-awaited release, but for criticism online that AI tools may have been used in the translation process.Translator M D Muthukumaraswamy and publisher Anush Khan of Coimbatore-based Ethir Veliyeedu have rejected the allegation. “The translator has not used AI at any stage of the translation. Eco is known for his fragmented sentences, which the translator retained in Tamil. We did not expect that this would be seen as a sign of AI use,” says Anush. “Still, while we are not using AI for translations, we should not be wary of adopting new technologies.”India has 9,000 publishers, but even among large publishing houses that release several hundred English-language titles annually, only a small fraction is translated into Indian languages, though there is a growing demand for regional-language content. Publishers say it is primarily because translation is time-consuming and resource-intensive. AI-powered solutions are now entering the scene to close that gap. Bengaluru-based NAAV AI, for instance, launched in 2025 and uses models such as Claude and GPT-4 to support translations from English into Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.Chennai-based Ailaysa, a multilingual AI platform, has processed 200 books, reportedly charging about Rs 100 per 1,000 words for translation. It treats entire manuscripts as cohesive works instead of sentence-by-sentence conversions. “We use AI to translate non-fiction and academic work as it saves cost and time,” says Senthil Nathan, CEO of Ailaysa and Aazhi Publishers. “For example, translators may need at least four to five months to translate a book. It also comes with hefty pay for the translator. With AI, the work is done in a week and with no cost. But we still need people to oversee the work.”Senthil Nathan, who translated consumer psychologist Nadim Sadek’s book ‘Shimmer, Don’t Shake’ using his AI translation software, says he still had to edit the translation at the end. “It just bettered the end product. While AI works well for non-fiction, it’s still at a nascent stage for fiction or poetry. But it’s just a matter of time,” he says. “Another advantage of using AI tools is that you can translate Tamil work into English as well.”At the recently concluded Chennai International Book Fair, Davide Daghia, director of digital at Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Italy, said publishers need to be cautious about using AI when it comes to children’s literature. “Two years ago, Italian publisher Castoro got a story written by a children’s author and ChatGPT using the same prompt. While adults could tell the difference between the two stories, children could not. The AI-generated story followed all the rules of writing, but lacked the casual, illogical details that give children’s books their depth and appeal. AI cannot give you that human sensibility essential in writing for children.”AI, though, can be helpful in marketing books, said Daghia. “In 2015, Italian author Michela Murgia created a Facebook page for the protagonist of her novel ‘Chiru’ to push sales. Chiru, the character, would write to followers and reply to their questions. I wrote to Chiru. Now imagine if you give this creative input to AI, a perfect communication plan can make your book sales explode,” said Daghia. While Tamil publishing houses have just begun their AI journey, many foreign publishers are adding clauses to their contracts regarding AI use.“Several publishers are cautious about using AI for content or design,” says Ananth Daksnamurthy, founder of Two Shores Press. “When they give translation rights for books, they insist AI should not be used. AI could still be useful in streamlining a publishing house’s workflow such as in copy editing and proofreading, and in correcting pronunciation errors in audiobooks.”Writer Marudhan says AI does a better job of translating Tamil texts into English, not vice versa. “So now there is an opportunity where a Tamil writer with the help of AI can translate his own work into English,” he says. "But now comes the bigger question. Will the publishing industry say it is translated with the help of AI, or just use the author's or translator's name alone in the book covers?”