Frankurt Book Fair 2025: Meet us at the IPG stand (hall 6.0, stand 69)
Artificial intelligence dominates conversations across every industry. From automated content creation to AI-powered discovery and recommendation engines, the technology promises to reshape how books are created, marketed, and consumed.
One of the challenges in discussing artificial intelligence is that it is often treated as a single thing.
In reality, AI can be understood in multiple ways.
On one level, it is an operational technology - a practical tool that performs tasks, analyses information, and automates workflows.
On another level, it is a conceptual technology - a system that changes how we think about creativity, knowledge, intelligence, and expertise.
They are a kind of software that stimulates conversation with a human end user. They most often do this with text, but can also be voice based (Alexa, Siri, etc).
Popular AI tools (like chatbots and large language models) are widely adopted but come with challenges such as data quality, plagiarism, and hallucinations. AI is often seen as a way to automate repetitive or boring tasks, freeing up time for creative work, but in practice, it's often used for creative tasks, leaving only admin work for humans.
Philosopher and AI researcher Nick Bostrom famously suggested that humanity could potentially build a form of superintelligence capable of protecting and promoting human values.
Whether or not such systems emerge, the idea highlights a central tension in AI development.
The challenge is not simply building more powerful systems. It is ensuring those systems align with human goals, priorities, and values.
For publishing, that means asking how AI can support creativity, knowledge sharing, and cultural diversity rather than simply optimising for efficiency.
Recent discussions around AI-generated creativity have been fuelled by projects such as The Velvet Sundown, a music act whose songs, branding, and marketing were reportedly created largely through AI systems with some level of human direction.
The reaction was immediate.
Media coverage raised concerns about:
Yet the reality may be more nuanced.
Many streaming platforms have already featured anonymous or generic (often AI-generated) instrumental music. Rather than representing a completely new phenomenon, projects like The Velvet Sundown may simply make visible practices that have existed within digital content ecosystems for years.
For publishers, the lesson is clear: AI-generated content is unlikely to arrive suddenly. In many cases, it is already here.
The real challenge is understanding how to use it responsibly and transparently.
The publishing industry does not need to choose between embracing AI and rejecting it.
Instead, the opportunity lies in moving beyond the hype and focusing on practical applications that support publishing's core mission.
That means asking better questions:
From our Innovators in Publishing webinar | February 2026
With thanks to Professor Greg Singh, Stirling University
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