Transitivity and Ideological Representation in ChatGPT Translation of Mahmoud Abbas's Speech
Keywords:
ChatGPT, Ideology, Systemic Functional Linguistics, TransitivityAbstract
This study examines ChatGPT's translation of Mahmoud Abbas's political speech by analyzing its transitivity system and ideological representation based on Systemic Functional Linguistics (Halliday) and Political Discourse Analysis (van Dijk). Using a descriptive qualitative method, 143 translated clauses were categorized into material, mental, relational, verbal, behavioral, and existential processes. The findings reveal a strong dominance of material processes (49.3%), followed by relational (20.3%) and verbal processes (12.2%). This dominance suggests that ChatGPT highlights concrete actions and lived experiences of the Palestinian people. Linguistic strategies such as lexicalization and victimization further reinforce moral positioning and the legitimacy of the Palestinian struggle. Ideologically, the translation reflects a positive portrayal of the Palestinian side and a negative portrayal of Israel, suggesting that ChatGPT's output is not entirely neutral but aligns with broader humanitarian and moral justice values. The study demonstrates that AI-generated translations can carry implicit ideological biases and highlights the importance of critical discourse analysis in evaluating machine-mediated political communication.
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