Digital intelligence and reinvention of publishing

The integration of artificial intelligence into publishing education is not about machines replacing humans, but about empowering people through technology, says Wu Shulin, chairman of the Publishers Association of China (also known as the China Publishing Association).

He described it as a "human-centered technological revolution" during his keynote speech at the Fourth International Conference on Publishing Education, held at the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication during the 32nd Beijing International Book Fair, which concluded on June 21.

The conference brought industry insiders and experts from different countries together to share their ideas about "Reinventing Reading and Publishing in the Era of Digital Intelligence".

Since 2023, BIGC has hosted the conference for three consecutive years, with topics evolving from integrated development to digital intelligence innovation.

This year's theme fully reflects the shared pursuits of the international publishing education community to adapt to the changing times, respond to industry needs, and fulfill educational responsibilities, noted Zhang Xin, Party secretary of the BIGC, in his speech.

The technology in the publishing industry is constantly evolving, but discovering high-quality content and rigorously editing works remains the unchanging core mission of publishing, said Gvantsa Jobava, president of the International Publishers Association, which celebrated the 130th anniversary of its founding during the week.

She argued that artificial intelligence primarily performs statistical analysis and mimics existing human knowledge and experience. Over centuries, human knowledge has evolved through the interplay of diverse ideas and systems, with the publishing industry being pivotal in this evolution. The industry should leverage digital tools to enhance editing, marketing, and the reading experience, she said. By using new technologies, it can facilitate cross-language communication and continually elevate the quality of publishing work, she added.

Echoing Jobava's idea, Tian Zhongli, president of the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication, said that publishing must continue to focus on its core mission of content review and value guidance. This involves transforming high-quality content into credible, standardized, and accessible knowledge resources to improve communication and service capabilities. He also emphasized that the goal of publishing education is to develop highly skilled, versatile professionals who can integrate the entire intelligent production chain.

Addressing the future of reading, Niels Peter Thomas, CEO of the British Medical Journal Group, delved into the aspects of "form" and "content" in his speech. He highlighted cutting-edge research in reading and brain neuroscience, emphasizing that the neural mechanisms of the human brain ensure that reading physical books will persist despite generational changes.

To illustrate this, he proposed the concept of "360° reading" using virtual reality. Thomas noted that current technology can enhance books by optimizing both their form and content, helping readers learn more efficiently. However, he stressed that learning is not the only purpose of reading; pure reading experiences require diverse forms and content, which will fundamentally transform the publishing process and book sales models.

In his keynote speech, Niels Stern, managing director of the OAPEN Foundation, said that while AI can handle many technical tasks in publishing, the heart of the industry lies in "collaborative cocreation" and ensuring the quality and credibility of research outcomes. Stern emphasized that without including high-quality, peer-reviewed academic results in the training of large language models, AI systems will be forced to rely on lower-quality information sources. He urged Chinese academic books to become more integrated into the global open access ecosystem to help address the "Western bias" currently present in AI knowledge systems.

Dominique De Roo, chief strategy officer of De Gruyter Brill, outlined two potential futures for the publishing industry. In one scenario, AI replaces human roles, turning publishers into mere logistics service providers. In the other, AI heightens competition, making the ability to discern truth the most valuable asset in publishing.

She argued that as the volume of text continues to grow, human judgment will become increasingly rare and valuable. In terms of publishing education, De Roo suggested that curricula should strike a balance between "embracing technology" and "cultivating judgment". This means training individuals who are not only skilled in using AI tools but also possess strong editorial ethics and critical thinking skills.

Therefore, publishing education needs to shift from "skills training" to "competency shaping" when confronted with the challenges brought by artificial intelligence and to build a comprehensive and innovative talent cultivation system suitable for the AI era, said Chen Dan, vice-president of the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication and deputy director of the Association of International Publishing Education, in his conclusion for the Blue Book on International Publishing Education 2026 that he released at the conference