Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief
TThe US-based Book Industry Research Group (BISG) and Booknet Canada this week released the full report from a summer 2025 study examining the use of AI in the English-speaking North American publishing ecosystem.
Overall, the research is AI usage across the North American book industry: 2025 Gathering 559 responses across a “wide range of professional roles,” the study found that the use of AI among publishing professionals and librarians in North America is “uneven and often exploratory,” and characterized by a mix of “cautious optimism” and concern about the technology’s development.
“Individuals working in larger organizations report higher levels of AI use and greater interest in training opportunities, while respondents in smaller organizations appear to be more hesitant,” the report’s executive summary states. “Throughout the survey, respondents frequently highlighted concerns about copyright, ethics, impact on work, environmental costs, and reliability of AI-generated output. At the same time, many participants acknowledged that AI tools can have practical benefits for limited operational tasks when used under human supervision.”
The study, whose preliminary results were first discussed during a webinar last fall, highlights a key challenge for the industry, the report says: “Balancing experimentation with emerging technologies while developing policies that protect creative labor, intellectual property, and the integrity of published content.”
Emphasis on efficiency over creativity
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According to the report’s findings, 45.8% of respondents said they personally use AI and 48.0% of respondents said their organization uses AI, with usage patterns suggesting that AI is primarily used to “improve efficiency, streamline workflows, and enhance data-driven decision-making” rather than “replace creativity.”
More “sensitive” tasks, such as “content creation and translation, rights-related work, and consumer-facing applications,” remain relatively limited, the study found.
Among the top areas for AI use in publishing organizations, administrative and operational tasks and marketing activities top the list, each mentioned by 29.1% of respondents, followed by data analysis (21.4%). Editorial duties (19.8%); Metadata and title optimization (16.8%).
Respondents used AI the least in rights and license management, with only 2.8% of respondents reporting using AI for these tasks, followed by QA testing (4.2%). Create an “AI voice” audiobook (5.7%). translation (7.0%); customer service or “reader engagement” (10.0%).
However, while AI adoption is expanding, the report also suggests that “significant concerns” remain for industry experts, including:
- Inadequate controls over the use of copyrighted material (86.4%)
- Hallucinations (AI provides false or fabricated information as fact) (84.3%)
- AI-generated books with fraudulent or low-quality content are flooding major retail platforms (81.1%)
- Inaccurate, false, or biased training data used in AI systems (79.2%)
- Lack of disclosure to consumers when AI-generated content is used (73.9%)
- Lack of trust in companies developing and managing AI technology (73.7%)
- Legal liability (copyright infringement, data privacy violation, etc.) (70.3%)
- Reinforcement or amplification of prejudice, discrimination, or oppression (63.7%)
- Job loss or negative impact on authors and creators (64.1%)
- Inaccurate or misleading content that impedes accessibility (60.7%)
- Unemployment or negative impact on publishing career path (57.1%)
Meanwhile, the report also found that a “significant proportion” of respondents remain non-AI users, “highlighting that adoption is not universal.”
Reactions from the Canadian and U.S. markets have been “substantially similar,” suggesting both markets are “moving at a similar pace,” the report said.
However, the survey data revealed some differences. For example, among the differences, a higher proportion of Canadian respondents (45.7%) indicated that more ethical guidance on AI adoption would be helpful compared to U.S. respondents (34.6%). Canadian respondents (43.5%) were also more likely than U.S. respondents (31.9%) to identify sustainability as an “issue related to the use of AI.”
It is also noteworthy that AI usage was relatively similar between publishers and librarians, with 43.7% of individuals working at publishers reporting the use of AI tools in their work, compared to 42.5% of library employees. However, there are also some notable differences between the two fields, particularly when it comes to how AI is used, with data suggesting that publishers are primarily leveraging AI to “support external functions such as marketing,” while libraries are focusing more on AI to support “internal workflow and information management” processes.
“When we consider the findings collectively, several interesting implications emerge,” the report said. “As seen in the data, publishers appear to be using AI as a megaphone to generate more marketing and metadata at scale, while libraries become quality gatekeepers, raising concerns about AI-generated content flooding the ecosystem,” the report concludes. “This dynamic is creating a tension between efficiency and administrative burden. As AI accelerates content creation in some parts of the ecosystem, responsibility for validation and quality control is shifted to other parts.”
Recognition and next steps
In addition to the survey questions, respondents also shared 170 additional comments from respondents. Feedback was primarily critical, with approximately 72% negative, 20% neutral, and only 8% positive.
One commenter said, “AI has no place in the book industry, or any industry for that matter, but especially not one that relies on human creativity.” “AI is just as likely to disrupt the publishing industry as it is to disrupt it,” another noted.
Another commenter noted the difference in attitudes towards technology between departments: “Members of our editorial team are very suspicious and anxious about dehumanizing effects. Members of our marketing team are very excited about AI tools and their applications to simplify their work. These kinds of tensions are still unresolved.”
Some questioned the value of the technology compared to its potential negative effects.
“Sometimes tasks that would take days can be done in an instant, but we fear that the cost of AI as an industry and as a society will far outweigh these small shortcuts,” the comment reads. “We need more protection for jobs and authors/creators,” said another.
The report concludes with a call for further research to help the industry better understand the evolving role of AI.
“Nearly half of industries are using AI, but qualitative sentiment is overwhelmingly negative. Industries are adopting AI faster than they can get used to it,” the report concludes. “By approaching AI with intention, the industry has the opportunity to make informed decisions about whether to deploy it and, if wise, leverage its potential benefits while protecting the creative, professional and cultural values that underpin the publishing ecosystem.”
Preliminary results of this study will be discussed in a webinar in September 2025, and BISG/Booknet Canada will be hosting another free webinar titled: AI in Publishing: Editing, Metadata, and Reader Trust The findings will be featured on Thursday, May 7th at 1pm ET.
You can download a PDF of the full report here.
