Dialogue on posthuman’s power: generative AI and the ethical rewriting in translated literature

Abstract

This study explores the dialogue between posthuman power and generative AI within the context of translation studies, building upon the Chinese translation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go by Kun Zhang. The novel presents a posthuman society where clones serve as organ donors for extending human lives. Zhang’s translation, Mo Shi Mo Wang (“莫失莫忘”), highlights the paradox of clones embodying humanity through discipline while humans transcend into posthumanism via organ transplantation. This paper delves into the translation’s focus on power dynamics by analyzing mechanisms of power discipline and the subversive assimilation of power, providing a detailed examination of how the text is rewritten within the Chinese sociocultural context. Through this lens, the study reveals how the translation underscores the inevitability of the clones’ tragic fate as a means to deepen the understanding of power structures in the original work. Furthermore, the integration of generative AI is considered as a contemporary manifestation of posthuman technology, engaging in the rewriting of power relationships and ethical dilemmas. The study argues that generative AI not only amplifies the exploration of power dynamics but also introduces a new layer of ethical considerations in the translator’s role and decision-making process.