What roles could – and should – AI play in book publishing?

One of the main themes at this year's Frankfurt Book Fair is the role of artificial intelligence in publishing. 

AI can help books cross language barriers, bring forgotten titles back into the spotlight and even give more people the tools to express their ideas. But as the technology advances, publishers are grappling with questions about creativity, authorship and copyright.

Swiss publisher NuiNui is developing its own AI agent to help translate books more efficiently, with the aim of reducing costs and making it easier to sell publishing rights internationally. 

Paolo Biano, an editor responsible for foreign rights at NuiNui, says the technology is still a work in progress, and that human editors will remain an important part of the process.

"If we translate poetry from Japanese [with AI], we can't use this kind of stuff because we need a translator that understands what is behind, beyond the word, not just word translating," Biano tells CGTN.

But he adds that AI could be particularly useful for lengthy non-fiction titles.

"We have some nature guides on birds and insects – 350 pages, it's a lot of text. So when a publisher from the US is interested in buying the rights, he's scared about translation cost. 

"So if we can provide text already in English, almost perfect, just to read, it's a good push for our selling."

For Ian Strathcarron, chairman of Unicorn Publishing Group, AI has already become a valuable research tool. He says it has dramatically increased his own productivity and can also help with editing and proofreading. 

However, he is less convinced by AI-generated books, saying: "If you're asking people to take the time to read it, it's only fair you've taken the time to write it."

Beyond translation and writing, AI could also change how books reach their audiences. Nadim Sadek, founder and CEO of Shimmr AI, believes the technology can help publishers solve another problem: getting books noticed. 

Shimmr uses AI to identify titles with untapped potential and connect them with readers through targeted marketing. Sadek sees opportunities for AI to help people express their ideas, but warns that fully AI-generated writing can lack the distinctive human qualities that make an author stand out. 

"AI-written stuff is still pretty poor," he says. "It's predictable. There's just too many markers of what AI kind of written stuff is. 

"I prefer the DNA print of the author because he's always got a twist and a turn, or she always brings up a surprise glitch at the end. AI can't really do that."

There are also unresolved questions about who owns the work when a machine enters the creative process, and how copyright should apply when human-created material is used to train AI. 

At this year’s fair, 120 publishers initially signed the Frankfurter Appell, calling for stronger copyright protection, transparency and fair licensing. 

As publishers explore the technology’s potential, the challenge is not simply whether AI can produce or translate a book. It’s how to make the most of its capabilities while protecting the human creativity behind the written word.