Jeddah, 24 Jumada al-Thani 1447 AH (15 December 2025)

Jeddah Book Fair 2025 examined the latest developments in smart translation and its technical mechanics through a specialized workshop titled "The Mechanics of Smart Translation and Its Technical Dilemmas," which discussed the shifts translation has undergone, its growing role in the digital age, and the key technical challenges that still confront the field, particularly with regard to Arabic.

The workshop presented smart translation as an application of artificial intelligence that relies on analyzing a text's overall context and seeking the most accurate and appropriate rendering, rather than settling for literal translation, drawing on advanced language models capable of continuous learning and improvement.

It also traced the historical development of machine translation, noting that the earliest attempts date back to the 1940s, when it began as limited experimental models before undergoing major leaps forward alongside advances in computing and artificial intelligence, leading to the sophisticated systems used widely today.

The workshop highlighted a number of technical dilemmas that still face smart translation systems, chief among them confidentiality and data-protection concerns on some platforms, the high cost of subscribing to advanced services, and their dependence on a constant internet connection, which limits their use in some settings.

The workshop is part of the cultural and knowledge program of Jeddah Book Fair 2025, which continues to offer quality events that raise awareness of modern technologies, link the book and knowledge industry to digital transformation, and support dialogue on the future of language and translation amid technology's rapid advance.