User Experiences of AI Real Time Translation in Intercultural Communication in Indonesia

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-573-7_13How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Real-Time Translation; intercultural Communication; Digital Communication; AI

Abstract

Cross-cultural communication relies increasingly on instant messaging apps that can translate in real time. But the automatic translation machines often make mistakes in grammar, meaning, and culture that create conflict in relationships and misunderstanding. This study purpose to identify common translation errors in WhatsApp, analyze their impact on cross-language communication, and explore user strategies on cross-linguistic communication. Based on Intercultural Communicative Competence and Communication Accommodation Theory, this study acknowledges that technology alone cannot guaran tee precise and contextually relevant interactions. Using a constructivist perspective, the study included in depth interviews with 10 individuals and observations of 119 participants from various Indonesian cultural backgrounds. Thematic research revealed that translation mistakes frequently lead to confusion, annoyance, and unintended insult. Participants performed manual adjustments, consulted dictionaries, and requested clarification from native speakers to ensure clarity and promote relational harmony. Although immediate multilingual communication has benefits, users have pointed out problems with effectively transmitting idioms, cultural intricacies, and emotional nuances. The results show that Neural Machine Translation has made progress in improving contextual accuracy, but there are still big problems with informal or culturally complex encounters. The results show that translation algorithms need to be better, that user feedback mechanisms should be added, and that more language resources should be made available to increase ac curacy. To communicate well across cultures, you need to use technology along with an understanding of cultural differences and a willingness to adapt. This study offers significant insights for developers and users seeking to enhance cross-language interactions.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Kristina Nurhayati
AU  - Fitri Sarasati
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/04/30
TI  - User Experiences of AI Real Time Translation in Intercultural Communication in Indonesia
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Communication and New Media Studies (COMNEWS 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 117
EP  - 125
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-573-7_13
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-573-7_13
ID  - Nurhayati2026
ER  -