Volume XXXV: The State of AI in Publishing
Volume XXXV: The State of AI in Publishing
And why now is the time for readers to take action
Introduction
Over the past few months, multiple stories regarding AI in book publishing have come to light. What could this technology mean for the industry—readers, authors, and publishing employees—and how can we protect art and artisanship?
It feels as if every day there is a new story about artificial intelligence and either the dangers it poses or the change it is initiating. And book publishing is not immune; from AI-produced books to employees fearing the future of their jobs, the industry seems to be in a pivotal, decision-making period.
But, as we’ve learned from attempts to integrate AI into everyday lives so far, AI is still rather unpredictable. Who is to say what book publishing might look like if publishers integrate the technology into processes like contracts, art design, and editorial? Or even into how a book is written in the first place?
In this newsletter, we’re taking a look at where we’ve seen AI in publishing so far, where the tech might be used in the future, and how us readers can take steps to ensure writers, readers, and those working in the industry are valued more significantly than any artificial technology.
A Deeper Look
Where and how is AI being used in publishing and publishing related companies?
Let’s start with the beginning of the publishing process: writers. In summer 2023, author Maureen Johnson tweeted about a friend’s contract that had included rights for AI to study the author’s work.
In doing so, publishers would have the ability to create future books and other works without an author attached to the project. Instead, the work could be produced in-house, which could be justified by saved costs (advances, royalties, etc.). Not soon after, thousands of authors signed a letter to OpenAI to ensure consent, credit, and fair compensation for any AI training, and some have joined a lawsuit claiming that the technology had already stolen their works for such education.
A few months later, a small, “linguistic analysis” website—Prosecraft—came into the spotlight. One by one, and then all at once, authors began realizing their books were listed on the website. But beyond that, as one author put it, the company stole “a lot of books, trained an AI, and are now offering a service based on that data.” After receiving hundreds of cease and desist letters within the timespan of one day, the startup was closed, with (supposedly) all information deleted.
Unfortunately, all of this gets tricky; copyright rules are not always clear, with a vagueness that may allow for such learning, and authors aren’t represented by a unified legal body (unlike unions).
Then there are the issues pertaining to book production. Some artists are not against AI usage when it comes to brainstorming or helping further their own creations; but when one of the largest publishers begins using AI to generate cover art, that’s a different story. If a publisher (in this case, Bloomsbury) that can actually afford to compensate artists—especially for one of their bestselling books (House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas)—chooses otherwise, who is to say that other publishers won’t follow suit?
In a recent interview for The New York Times, Penguin Random House CEO Nihar Malaviya discussed that his “primary goal is growth. After the collapse of the Simon & Schuster deal, it became clear Penguin Random House could not buy its way out of the decline, so much of its growth will have to come organically — by selling more books. Mr. Malaviya said that, hopefully, A.I. will help, making it easier to publish more titles without hiring ever more employees.” (Emphasis is our own.)
And then there is audiobook production. Last year, Apple launched their digital narration technology. According to their website, they hope to empower more indie authors and publishers, given the high cost of audiobook creation. But, as Kendra Winchester wrote in Book Riot, at their core, audiobooks are about accessibility. And yet, where have disabled individuals been during the making of these decisions? “I’m tired of being told that I should be grateful for ‘better than nothing.’ I’m exhausted by nondisabled people shrugging off the voices of disabled people pointing out the issues with AI narration for audiobooks. And I’m eternally frustrated at seeing articles discussing AI narrators without a single disabled person quoted or even mentioned.”
Even earlier this month, Spotify’s Findaway Voices—their audiobook production arm—updated their Terms and Conditions, only to meet outrage from authors, narrators, and readers. How Spotify compensates authors is still not completely clear, but this update suggested that they’d be able to utilize an author’s audiobook to create new projects—such as by using AI. After hearing from authors, the Authors Guild reached out and Findaway clarified and altered the terms. Yet who is to say what would have happened if nobody had caught the modifications? What was the company’s original intent?
And, finally, there’s the matter of bookselling. Recently, authors and readers have noticed a surge in AI-generated books on Amazon. In fact, many make use of actual authors’ names, and/or are complete rip-offs of their own books. And the company claims that unless an author’s name is copyrighted, they can’t do anything. Unfortunately, this isn’t just happening on Amazon; AI-generated books are being added to distribution platforms that work with indie bookstores, meaning indies are accidentally selling these stories to customers who are also unaware that they are written by AI.
There are likely many, many other ways AI is being used in publishing. A notoriously understaffed, low-paying industry, it wouldn’t be a surprise if publishers started phasing out certain roles to replace them with technology. So, what comes next?
Ways to Respond
Authors banded together to change Findaway’s terms and shut down Prosecraft, proving the role we readers can have in the future of AI and publishing. We can demand companies act with their authors, narrators, employees, and readers in mind.
Conscious consumerism is when we spend money intentionally. Do we take our business to the most convenient service? Or, if we have the privilege to do so, are we able to support businesses that align with our values? We can choose to support publishers that are invested in their authors; spend our money with Amazon-alternatives; amplify authors that have spoken out against AI use on their books, at any stage. And, for free, we can utilize our local libraries—services that are vastly underfunded and rely on our use of their materials to secure funding.
We can also read beyond just what’s trending. Not only does this mean we’re likely to discover hidden gems and unexpected reads, but we’re also less likely to help power algorithms and AI learning (the latter of which Spotify, for example, utilizes for audiobook recommendations). We’re also more likely to support our local indies and libraries.
And, we can’t stress enough the importance of raising awareness. If you come across something that is AI-generated but not marked as such, flag it with others. Contact the company. Empowerment comes with a better understanding of where we are spending our money and who/what it is benefitting.
Final Musings
AI is still unpredictable, and its future is even less clear. That is why we readers must increase our awareness and involvement now. As the industry begins to make decisions around their use of the technology, we can make it clear what we will and will not support.
If you know of any additional ways technology is being used or considered in the book world, we encourage you to leave a comment or get in touch via email or DM. The more we all know, the better equipped we will be to ensure the protection of readership.
We’ll be back in a few weeks with a deep dive into a recent read. In the meantime, make sure to advocate for a free Palestine by contacting your governmental reps, reading Palestinian authors, and more.
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