AI and the New Wave of Oral Bible Translation
Here’s a stat you never heard before. As of this month, there are approximately 800 oral Bible translation projects that have started just this year. This number is equal to the number of new written translations, demonstrating the rise in oral Bible translation work globally. As YWAM, we are doing about 10% of the global oral translation work. We have 80 registered projects, which is a huge growth for us in very little time. These stats represent a new wave in Bible translation. This wave has been heavily influenced by the development of AI technology over the past few years. This may surprise you. But, there is a historical reason for that!
Throughout history, you can observe a common thread when it comes to technology and Bible translation. Consider, the Gutenberg printing press, invented in the 1400s, which revolutionized the publication of the Bible across Europe. Before 1455, there were very few complete translations of the Bible. Translations in Europe were mainly just Latin, Old English, German, and a few others. And, there were only a few thousand Bibles in existence, that were all copied by hand! After 1455, and by the end of the 15th century, the Bible was published in over 180 different editions, with new translations exploding throughout the 16th century in many european languages for the first time! This one technological advancement in printing allowed for many languages to have access to the Bible for the first time, accelerating the process of Bible translation significantly!1
For more context, please see: Technology & The Bible.2
Today, we have seen a rapid acceleration in Bible translation and will continue to see this increase aided by the development of AI technology. During our OBT “UpSkilling” Workshop, we were able to hear from AI scientists, programmers, and users who have been working on developing new technologies to assist with Bible translation. One of the things that YWAM is working on is an AI virtual assistant called the OBT Helper,3 which you can try out with the link provided. The OBT Helper is an AI tool that aims to assist oral mother-tongue translators by providing an interactive language model that can help explain Biblical concepts and give deeper insights into the original languages (Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic), all while maintaining a conversational style that is appealing to oral learners. This technology is going to reshape the way that we approach Bible translation ministry, and greatly accelerate the process for all Bible translation organizations. I am personally so thrilled to see how quickly these new applications of AI are being developed, and how they can help speed up the process for every language to be translated!
For more information about the use of AI in Oral Bible Translation, please read this article:
Prayer Points
These new developments require a lot of financial and spiritual support, and we would love your prayers in this area of Bible translation and technology. Please add the following points to your time of prayer:
- Pray for those who are developing new technologies for Bible translation for financial provision and for protection from spiritual warfare.
- Pray for Bible translation teams to get access to new technologies, and for Bible translation to accelerate and multiply rapidly around the world.
- Pray for Bible translation practitioners and trainers to be raised up all over the world, and for all those who are involved with this ministry to have the Spirit of the fear of the Lord.
OBT “UpSkilling” Workshop in Closing
In closing, the OBT “UpSkilling” Workshop was an amazing experience for all of us who were involved, and I have so much more to share about all of the things that we learned. Much more than what I could share in a newsletter. If you want to learn more about what is happening within the OBT movement, please do follow up with me here:
If you want to learn more about OBT and how you can get involved, please visit the YWAM Shema website. Until next time, blessings!
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