Facebook is learning first-hand about the limitations of modern translation technology. The social media firm has apologized after people discovered that that translating Chinese President Xi Jinping’s name from Burmese to English led to him being called “Mr. Shithole” — no, we’re not kidding. The company blamed a “technical issue” for the flaw. It didn’t have Xi Jinping’s name in its Burmese database and made a wild stab at the translation, where it clearly fell apart. Other words starting with “xi” or “shi” also led to “shithole” translations.
Facebook says glitch led to rude translation of Chinese leader’s name
Questo è il motivo per cui servono i traduttori in carne e ossa.