“Embrace the possibilities of AI but be mindful of the ethical considerations”

Fatimah Abbas has five years of experience in the artificial intelligence industry, where she served as the MENA regional director. Currently, she is working independently with her agency, FALA, on an exciting new project aimed at enhancing book fairs, which will be announced very soon. Additionally, she is in the process of writing a book that combines her experiences in AI and publishing, which will be released this year.

Here, Fatimah shares more about the popularity of AI in publishing.

AABP: What is Artificial Intelligence?

Fatimah: Artificial Intelligence, or AI, is a term that describes machines created to think like people do, act as if they were human beings, etc. AI incorporates different areas such as machine learning; natural language processing which entails understanding spoken phrases; computer vision deals with how computers can be made to understand images just like human beings while robotics is all about building machines that are able to interact with the physical world.

AABP: How do you think AI can influence Print Publishing?

Fatimah: Print publishing could be greatly affected by AI. To illustrate, automatic writing tools can be used to come up with articles, reports or even fiction books thus ensuring the production of a lot of materials within a short time. Alternatively, readers’ tastes can be analyzed by AI leading to provision of more individual-based suggestions which can make it more interesting to the reader.

Moreover, publishers can use AI-powered tools to edit and proofread by finding grammatical errors hence improving readability. Another way AI helps is by analyzing market trends and reader feedback which in turn enables publishers to make right content production choices and marketing plans.

AABP: What are the other areas in Publishing do you think AI will enable and influence?

Fatimah: AI goes beyond traditional print and plays a significant role on the web serving its roles through print services or digital publishing, ensuring search engine optimization and enhancing targeted business advert deliver. Such solutions convert text into speech allowing one to listen to web-based content which is more appealing and easy to access. Automated real-time interpretation powered by AI enables publishers to serve global markets more efficiently. Additionally, AI has the capability of creating interactive and immersive content experiences, for instance, augmented reality and virtual reality applications.

AABP: In your vision, what are the advantages publishers and the ecosystem of publishing can have with AI?

Fatimah: There are many benefits of AI to publishers and the wider publishing system. Human resource can be freed up for strategic and innovative activities because repetitive duties can be managed by automation. Another advantage is that it streamlines operational costs hence reducing them since it helps in content creation, editing and distribution among others. Through personalized content and targeted marketing, reader engagement and loyalty can increase significantly.

In addition, reader preferences and market trends can be easily analysed by Artificial Intelligence thus publishers can have data-informed choices. Moreover,AI is making it possible for re-inventing distribution methods and content formats, hence leading to new channels for growth.

AABP: What are the threats and challenges you feel?

Fatimah: Despite its benefits, AI also presents challenges and threats. Automation could lead to job displacement in areas like editing and content creation. Ensuring the quality and accuracy of AI-generated content is another challenge. AI systems can also perpetuate biases present in their training data, leading to biased content. The use of AI to collect and analyze reader data raises privacy concerns. Additionally, over-reliance on AI could stifle human creativity and critical thinking.

AABP: What are the future trends and possibilities you foresee with AI?

Fatimah: As I look into the future, I notice AI has many critical patterns and openings. With regard to every reader’s individual preferences, an increase in accuracy is witnessed when it comes to making specific content suggestions because of hyper-personalization. To promote and aid writers, designers and artists in creating content that is at once appealing and unique, machines will be given new abilities meant for provocation of ideas.

In the future, people will increasingly dedicate their interest to build AI systems that are transparent and fairs well as those that can be held accountable for their activities. Equally important, the increased use of AI algorithms will facilitate new ways of storytelling like interactive stories and immersive collaborative augmented reality or virtual reality experiences.

AABP: Any message to our readers?

Fatimah: Embrace the possibilities that AI offers, but remain mindful of the ethical considerations. As we navigate this exciting frontier, it’s essential to balance innovation with responsibility. AI has the potential to transform the publishing industry for the better, enhancing creativity, efficiency, and reader engagement. Stay curious, stay informed, and be open to the new opportunities that AI brings.