A booth displaying China-themed books is seen at London Book Fair in London, Britain, March 12, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Ying)

As the publishing industry embarks on a new era driven by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Chinese publishers, alongside their international counterparts, delved into the potential of innovative tools to revolutionize their practices at this year's London Book Fair (LBF).

In a panel talk held in China's exhibition area, professionals discussed the pragmatic application, potential, and inherent constraints of AI technology, which has drawn much attention at the LBF from Tuesday to Thursday.

AI integration in industry

Publishers worldwide have been using AI-supported tools in editing, market analysis and online book recommendations for years. However, the recent surge in AI development has prompted the industry to contemplate the issue.

"This marks a shift in the publishing market towards more efficient, personalized and insightful processes and standards," Professor Shen Yang at Tsinghua University's School of Journalism and Communication said in the panel.

Despite his absence at the event, Shen delivered his speech through AI-generated videos, saying that collaborative creation between humans and AI could facilitate automatic text-to-multimedia conversion, thereby opening new revenue streams for the industry.

Speaking to Xinhua after the panel, Paolo Lombardi, director of technology innovation at Taylor & Francis Group, a British publisher, said his company has been exploring AI integration with professional translation to improve efficiency. He hoped the collaboration between the company and its Chinese partners could enhance the accessibility of Chinese content for English-speaking readers.

"One of the most exciting things about AI today is it allows us to bridge across countries and improve communication," he added.

Looking ahead, Lombardi emphasized the "pivotal role" of human authors in content production, highlighting humans' "ethical responsibility in how to use this technology."

Tech fusion with traditional publishing

Besides AI taking center stage, the book fair also saw other trending technologies integrated with traditional publishing. Especially noteworthy were some explorations by Chinese publishers.

A standout example was an immersive reading experience known as "The Classic of Mountains and Seas: An Illustrated Guide to Chinese Mythical Creatures," where scanning illustrations on the book with a smartphone could unveil 3D representations of 40 mythical creatures from ancient Chinese mythology.

"Compared to traditional computer modeling, new technologies like VR (virtual reality) painting can help content creators significantly by making it easier for them to bring their imagination to life," Liu told Xinhua.

Wang Xubin, president of Zhejiang Ancient Books Publishing House, told Xinhua that advanced printing technology can enhance printing quality and offer readers a clearer view of visual materials such as traditional art pieces.

Having seen some experimentation by Chinese professionals, Lombardi expressed his excitement at their "exceptional minds" and dedication to understanding and trying new technologies.

Int'l collaboration, digital strategy

At the three-day event, around 50 Chinese publishers showcased more than 3,200 types of China-themed books and engaged in some 30 activities focused on international collaboration.

Peng Donglin, deputy editor-in-chief of Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, told Xinhua that his agency has been discussing with major international partners, including Oxford University Press and HarperCollins Publishers, the issue of digital content licensing as part of its digitalization strategy.

Digital content cooperation can not only fuel business growth but also make it easier to bring Chinese publications to the global market, Peng said.

"We're delighted to see an increase (in participation) this year from China," Gareth Rapley, director of the book fair, told Xinhua. "Hopefully, this year is a building block to seeing further expansion of the Chinese participation here at LBF."

This year's LBF has attracted over 30,000 attendees, professionals, and 1,000 exhibitors across the world. 

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