Japanese publisher to launch 'light novel' app with AI-assisted translations

TOKYO -- Japanese publisher Shogakukan will soon launch an app to bring English versions of so-called light novels to North American readers, Nikkei has learned, with translations assisted by artificial intelligence helping to lower costs and boost output.

The Novelous app will be available in the U.S. and Canada as soon as this year. The AI-powered translation tools were developed by Mantra, a Tokyo startup that received funding from Shogakukan in June.