Google Translate translates Russia to "Mordor" in automated error - Polidicks

Source: [url]http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-35251478[/url] [quote=BBC]Mordor is the name of a fictional region nicknamed "Land of Shadow" in JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books. In addition, "Russians" was translated to "occupiers" and the surname of Sergey Lavrov, the country's Foreign Minister, to "sad little horse". The errors had been introduced to Google Translate's Ukrainian to Russian service automatically, Google said. The terms mirror language used by some Ukrainians following Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014.[/quote]

Seems apt.

Google Translate is getting more and more natural every day!

Google Translate is actually an AI that is reaching a landmark moment as evidenced today.

[Img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/EdricO/putin_has_the_ring.png[/img]

Well, not too far from the truth actually.

I really struggle to see that this is an error. This seems like a completely deliberate prank.

[QUOTE=milktree;49477766][Img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v407/EdricO/putin_has_the_ring.png[/img][/QUOTE] I don't get it, why is it pointing towards the lower left corner of a picture of George Bush?

[QUOTE=MrJazzy;49478195]I don't get it, why is it pointing towards the lower left corner of a picture of George Bush?[/QUOTE] The ring didn't make sauron invisible.

[QUOTE=Enola;49478182]I really struggle to see that this is an error. This seems like a completely deliberate prank.[/QUOTE] They didn't tell it to use that translation. Translation is very complex, so Google didn't just make a table of: Russia = Mordor Russians = Occupiers Lavrov = Sad little horse That wouldn't work. The best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it, and I'm pretty sure translate reads large portions of the internet (and various other texts) to try and figure out how people talk and how to detect the subtleties of language such as sarcasm, satire and innuendo. Ukrainians started using those words to refer to Russia, and seen as that was actually sort of the intended meaning, this is translate working very effectively.

"It works without the intervention of human translators" sounds like bullshit to me. Isn't it possible to alter translation results if enough people edit it via "this is incorrect translation" button or whatever it is called?

[QUOTE=NeonpieDFTBA;49478312]They didn't tell it to use that translation. Translation is very complex, so Google didn't just make a table of: Russia = Mordor Russians = Occupiers Lavrov = Sad little horse That wouldn't work. The best way to learn a language is to immerse yourself in it, and I'm pretty sure translate reads large portions of the internet (and various other texts) to try and figure out how people talk and how to detect the subtleties of language such as sarcasm, satire and innuendo. Ukrainians started using those words to refer to Russia, and seen as that was actually sort of the intended meaning, this is translate working very effectively.[/QUOTE] Its actually a bit easier than that, when using Google Translate you can suggest translations, and I guess the more popular translations get in.

Sounds about right.

Anyone can go on Google Translate and offer their translations for things. Getting upset about this is like going on Youtube and being pissed off at Google because someone uploaded a video burning a cross. I've fixed some translations on it and they changed to what I put the next day. There is too much being suggested to be able to moderate it.

[QUOTE=Dark RaveN;49478435]Its actually a bit easier than that, when using Google Translate you can suggest translations, and I guess the more popular translations get in.[/QUOTE] I'm pretty sure it is both. I've seen some work at universities which read large bodies of work and oure statistical algorithms could learn how go write Shakespearean text or Russian literature. I would expect they're are employing similar things.