HarperCollins Will Use AI To Translate Harlequin Romance Novels

HarperCollins plans to use AI for translating romance novels published under its Harlequin label in France. This move will significantly reduce or eliminate payment for the human translators previously responsible for this work. French news outlets and Publisher's Weekly reported on the publisher's announcement. According to a joint statement from the French Association of Literary Translators (ATFL) and the anti-AI activist group En Chair et en Os, HarperCollins France has informed its translators of this change starting in 2026. The company intends to use a third-party service, Fluent Planet, for the AI translation process. Afterward, a team of freelancers will review and finalize the machine-translated books. The ATFL and En Chair et en Os have urged writers, book industry professionals, and readers to reject this AI-driven approach. They are advocating for the preservation of human-authored texts and dignified working conditions for translators. Their plea emphasizes a commitment to human-created content produced under ethical circumstances.