rigorous and high-qualit”. Among the academic presses, Springer
Nature appears to be one of the early AI adop- ters, recently announcing Curie, its language- editing service, to help researchers whose first language is not English, as well as its peer-reviewer finder tool to support editors in finding the best peer reviewers more quickly. The publisher has also experimented to see whether generative AI can help authors write books and successfully published the first ever such book in October, but a spokesperson for the firm noted, “We believe AI will augment human intelligence—not replace it”. Cambridge Universit Press said it uses in-house large language models, AI co-pilots and automarking in assessment, but stressed “in everything we do, we are puting people first, and ensuring everything is checked by humans”. Taylor & Francis said it has used specialist tools “for some years” that apply AI to processes such as the detection of plagiarism and image manipulation, in order to support in-house teams, but said genera- tive AI is “not currently part of” its editorial workflows. It prohibits the use of AI tools for assessing submited manuscripts. If authors choose to use AI tools, they are expected to do so “responsibly” and must acknowledge and document them appropriately. AI tools must not be listed as an author on journal articles. Wiley said it was “exploring a variet of use cases for AI to support the research publishing process, including potential applications for authorship, submission and review, editing and production, and discover- abilit. It concluded: “The safet and securit limitations of generative AI are not yet fully understood, and legal frameworks need to catch up with, and be flexible enough to adapt to, this ever-evolving technology. If these challenges can be met, and the right balance of efficiency with human creativit can be achieved, generative AI may well become as integral to publishing as the internet itself.”
Nadim Sadek Shimmr AI, founder
Why publishers must upend the status quo in order to embrace AI and its possibilities
N
ot many of us are comfortable when the status quo is interrupted. We tend to crave the steady, the known, the
system we have learned to work. Change brings rupture, often realigns hierarchies; people who were essential can seem less so, ones who were peripheral become central. Innovation catalyses many of these re-alignments in our working lives. New technologies very often spark apprehension and distrust when first introduced before eventually becoming widely adopted. Looking at examples from the past few decades provides perspective on how early fears around transformative innovations eventually subside as benefits become apparent and familiarity grows. We do get used to change. Often, we make the initial expression of an innovation better, through resistance then iteration, and finally, by assimilation. AI is certainly here to stay, and like with
so many of its forerunners, humanity will interact with it, evolve it, make it acceptable and finally assimilate it. The publishing industry is understandably apprehensive about AI given the disruptive changes it may bring and the risks involved. However, we can take encouragement from how societies eventually adapted to beneficial new technologies in the past, once drawbacks were addressed. Through respon- sible development and prudent regulation, AI’s positives for publishing can hopefully outweigh the negatives.
AI nudges humans even more fully to embrace its unique unpredictability, originality and sheer randomness of creative thought
Nadim Sadek For publishers, maintaining transparency
PAN MACMILLAN GROUP COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR SARA LLOYD
TheBookseller.com
around AI usage while safeguarding against bias and job loss will be critical. Developing representative data sets, testing models rigor- ously and keeping humans involved in key decisions can help reduce risks. Publishers will need to communicate frequently with creators and readers to understand AI concerns across the industry. There will need to be much more integration of publishers, authors and readers in various forums. Authors justifiably worry about
NEW TECHNOLOGIES CAN SPARK INITIAL DISTRUST BEFORE BEING LATER ACCEPTED
the economic and creative threats posed if AI text generation comes to dominate publishing. However, human imagination seems
unlikely to be surpassed entirely. Indeed, AI nudges humans even more fully to embrace its unique unpredictability, originality and sheer randomness of creative thought. There are also opportunities to employ AI as a collaborative tool for research, ideation and efficiency. Readers benefit from transparency from publishers and booksellers about how AI shapes recommenda- tions to avoid over-personalisation. Alternatives retaining human curation can ensure that our uniquely “random” ways of thinking remain pedestalised and valued. Through ethics policies, diversity initiatives, responsible imple- mentation of capabilities and fairness to human collaborators, the publishing industry can hopefully steer AI’s course to augment creativity rather than undermine it. The rich history of publishing has constantly
shown its resilience and propensity for adapta- tion to disruptive innovations. Though chal- lenges await, AI will hopefully inspire authors and delight readers as much as it unsettles the status quo. If wisely managed, AI will have net positive impacts, just as past technologies evolved from feared disruptions into indispen- sable aids.
This is an extract from Shimmer, Don’t Shake: How Publishing Can Embrace AI (Forbes Books); Sadek will also give a keynote address at the Future- Book Conference on 27th November, with a limited number of copies of the book to be made available for dele- gates at the event.
05
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
