AI translation and intercultural communication: New questions for a new field of research

The widespread adoption and use of Large Language Models (LLMs) as the foundation for artificial intelligence applications in applied computer science have significantly advanced tools for the translation of human languages. These tools are now ubiquitously and instantly accessible, e.g., via smartphones, and the quality of their translations has markedly improved. When used in informal and institutional, spontaneous as well as planned contexts between individuals and groups without a common language or lingua franca, these translation tools create new and unique contexts for interaction that would not otherwise exist. This development has generated a novel genre of research settings essential for exploring intercultural communication, as they foster new forms of interculturality, enabling new experiences, and raise new ethical questions about intercultural interaction. Consequently, AI-translated intercultural communication has emerged as a new basis for the development of interculturality. The current research overview indicates that this phenomenon remains largely unexplored, with significant research questions and areas still unaddressed. Existing studies focus on the technical aspects of machine translation, the feasibility and limitations of achieving human-like, accurate translation, and the future role of human translators. The active role of translation tools in creating novel intercultural contact situations urgently requires further investigation and exploration.