If you read an outstanding book and later discovered it was written by AI, would you feel “tricked”?
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve at a rapid pace, its impact on various industries, including publishing, is coming under scrutiny. Recently, a professional salon focusing on how to “embrace” AI in the context of reading was held at Beijing Printing Institute, part of the Beijing Cultural Forum. Numerous experts attended, expressing both excitement and a sense of urgency regarding AI’s role in this space.
The advantages of AI are indisputable. Many in the publishing and reading sectors appreciate the convenience and precision it offers. Ma Guocang, the Party Secretary and Chairman of China Publishing Group, emphasized that AI facilitates a “two-way street” for reading, communication, and publishing. Readers can easily find the content they wish to explore, and high-quality materials can reach them faster, meeting the diverse needs of a segmented market. Nie Zhenning, Director of the National Reading Working Committee of the China Publishing Association, highlighted AI’s strong interactivity, stating it “gives reading the wings of technology.”
Professional publishers are equally impressed by AI’s effectiveness. Hao Zhensheng, President of the Chinese Editing Society, noted that AI can empower editors in various aspects—from topic selection and author scouting to process optimization, multilingual translation, and distribution—enhancing their service to readers. In discussions about children’s literature, Tian Zhongli, President of Beijing Printing Institute, pointed out that AI can analyze children’s reading habits and develop tailored reading plans to enhance comprehension. Additionally, by integrating technologies like VR and AR, traditional print mediums can evolve into immersive reading experiences for children.
However, when it comes to the deeper needs of readers, some experts remain cautious about AI’s capabilities. Recently, a team approached Xu Zechen, Deputy Editor of People’s Literature magazine, expressing interest in publishing an AI-generated novel in their magazine. “So far, we haven’t published an AI ‘written’ novel,” Xu stated. “Eventually, we realized this might not work. Who gets paid for the writing? What criteria do we use for compensation? Moreover, while it may look like an AI piece, the information is essentially compiled from a vast database of many authors’ works. What about the copyright for that?”
Reflecting on the initial question, Xu felt a psychological jolt. He explained that readers often seek a clear, trust-based relationship with authors, hoping for an emotional connection that fosters recognition. AI’s capability to stitch together fragments from big data does not fulfill these deep emotional needs, leading to significant confusion regarding personal identity when engaging with AI-generated works.
Nie Zhenning’s skepticism towards AI springs from a different perspective. He recounted a recent experience with a company that wished to turn his novel into an AI-driven product where readers could interact with an AI version of him through their phones. After testing this novel reading experience, he found that while AI could provide quick responses to basic questions about character details, it faltered when confronted with deeper inquiries about character motivations. This left Nie believing that “AI might have high IQ, but its EQ isn’t necessarily on the same level.”
When discussing AI’s potential for personalized reading services, experts, including Hao Zhensheng, warned against the “information cocoon.” He noted that the fragmented nature of AI-generated content poses a significant drawback, potentially hindering people’s ability to form complete, nuanced understandings of issues.
Some in the publishing industry also sense a pressing urgency brought on by AI. Xu Zechen, who is also a writer, remarked, “In the past, we used to say that every author is chased by a dog of innovation. Today, authors are being pursued by AI. If you slack off, AI will easily overtake you; for writers, AI is truly a relentless dog.”
Nonetheless, Xu acknowledges that the rise of AI-generated content is an unavoidable trend, saying, “Right now, we might see it simply as a tool, but throughout history, many innovations started as tools before evolving into methodologies and finally shaping worldviews. It is indeed changing humanity gradually.”
Discussing AI’s impact on reading, Wang Bin, Vice Chairman of the China Publishing Association, shared several trends to recognize: first, AI has broadened the forms of reading available, with the emergence of audiobooks reflecting changes in reading habits; second, AI accelerates the flow of knowledge, turning data into a vast ocean, where “high grounds” of knowledge become increasingly significant. The recent surge of interest in the O1 model (an intelligent reasoning AI model launched by OpenAI) has intensified the production of logically driven knowledge, affecting the overall knowledge ecosystem. Third, the future of reading markets may well lie in segmentation, warranting special attention to how hardware influences knowledge production.
Wang believes that merely adapting printed content for online platforms and then to mobile devices has fallen behind current trends. Future content should be produced based on more refined ideas regarding the use of technology, such as focusing on computer-based reading for academic work, while entertainment-related reading may predominantly occur on mobile devices, encompassing formats like streaming, audiobooks, and short narratives. Children’s educational content will likely concentrate on learning tools, requiring a robust, data-driven knowledge system that evolves to meet their growing reading needs.
In Wang’s view, the future of reading will combine both print and digital formats. However, he anticipates that print may gradually decline, freeing up market space for the future of publishing. He suggests actively embracing change, merging content with technology, continually experimenting and iterating on solutions for copyright challenges, instead of adopting a defensive stance against AI.
