In Italy, 3 out of 4 publishers are implementing artificial intelligence in their publishers, including press releases, back covers, metadata, covers, illustrations, and sales forecasts. This is the picture from Italy's first systematic study on the use of AI in book publishing, conducted by the Italian Publishing Association (Aie) and to be published today in “Più libri più liberi” (More Free Books). The trade fair for small and medium-sized publishers has recorded great success, attracting the attention of the public and large media, especially thanks to the protests by various publishers that arose over the presence of the far-right publisher Passagio Al. Bosco.
In a study published today, Il sole 24 ore We were able to preview it, and the immediately striking number is that 75.3% of publishers claim to use AI tools within their organizations. For large groups with a turnover of more than 5 million euros, the percentage jumps to 96.2%. However, the technology wave is not limited to large companies. 75% for publishers with sales between 1 million and 5 million, 66.7% for publishers with sales between 500,000 and 1 million, and 62.5% among publishers with sales under 100,000.
“What struck us most was the speed and breadth of the response,” says Andrea Angiolini, head of innovation at Aie. 184 publishing brands responded to the survey. This shows that this topic has great relevance. It is no coincidence that Angiolini recalled the decision to put AI under observation several years ago. “The basic idea was to avoid underestimating or overestimating the phenomenon, and to give everyone the same conditions and then let them make their own decisions.”
The answer is that artificial intelligence is already part of the editorial board's hidden engine. 67.1% of publishers using AI are using it for press office and communications, with an additional 67.1% using it for paratext and metadata, 50.7% for covers and illustrations, and 49.3% for editing, proofreading, and translation. This is followed by administrative activities (31.5%), accessibility (21.9%), and commercial analysis and sales forecasting (19.2%).
“Use is prevalent in the back office,” says Angiolini, but we are already seeing the rise of the front end. “There's already an interesting amount of applications on the front end. Right now they're much more concentrated in schools, universities, and professional fields.” Publishers have an advantage there. Digital platforms have been around for years, and services based on generative AI are “ready to go”.
