Speakers at the festival pointed to AI’s growing influence across multiple stages of publishing — from manuscript drafting and editing to production pipelines, translation and marketing strategies. According to a global industry forecast published this year, generative AI tools are on the verge of transforming how content is created, distributed and consumed.
A study examining the adoption of AI among African educational publishers found that such tools can streamline writing, editing, printing and distribution, particularly for textbooks and learning materials. Although these findings emerged in a different regional context, they underscore how AI-driven efficiencies can reshape traditional publishing value chains across geographies.
Despite the enthusiasm, significant resistance remains among many in the industry. A survey by a leading publishers’ group revealed that nearly half of book-industry professionals now report using AI tools, yet 98 percent cited major concerns about implementation — ranging from the risk of lower-quality output to ethical and copyright issues.
Some publishers at the festival acknowledged those risks, pointing out that AI-generated content must not crowd out human creativity or reliable editorial standards. Others argued their investment in AI could allow them to respond faster to market trends, produce more multilingual editions and reach wider audiences without ballooning costs. Festival organisers see that as aligned with the emirate’s broader ambition to promote cultural output and channel Emirati — and wider Arab — voices onto global platforms.
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