Artificial intelligence has changed translation practices, including on social media platforms such as TikTok. Many users now rely on AI-generated subtitles to reach international audiences. However, this technology still faces challenges in translating complex content such as satire, which often contains irony, humor, and cultural references. This study aims to identify the subtitling strategies used by TikTok’s AI in translating Indonesian satirical content into English and to analyze the factors contributing to meaning loss. This research employs a qualitative descriptive method with content analysis. The data consist of 51 subtitles collected from five satirical videos uploaded on the TikTok account @dipalelu between August 2025 and January 2026. The analysis applies Gottlieb’s (1992) subtitling strategies and Newmark’s (1988) theory of meaning loss. The results show that TikTok’s AI predominantly uses transfer strategy. This indicates that the AI-generated subtitle system translates satirical utterances literally by preserving lexical structure with limited contextual adaptation, which may reduce irony, implicit criticism, and humorous tone in the target language. Transcription appears occasionally, while decimation and deletion only appear once each. Strategies such as paraphrase, expansion, and imitation do not appear in the data. Regarding meaning loss, limitations in interpreting pragmatic and cultural aspects of language become the dominant factor, while linguistic and cultural differences also contribute to meaning loss. This study concludes that AI-generated subtitles remain limited in translating satirical discourse because satire depends heavily on contextual and cultural interpretation. Therefore, content creators should review AI-generated subtitles before publication to ensure clearer cross-cultural communication.

AI-Generated; Subtitles; Satire; Translation; Meaning Loss; TikTok

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