AI redefines traditional boundaries of book publishing

KUCHING: Writers and publishers today can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to produce a complete book in as little as 24 hours.

According to National Book Development Foundation (NBDF) President Dr Hasan Hamzah the rapid advancement of AI has redefined the traditional boundaries of book publishing.

“Nowadays, if done efficiently, a book can be completed in a day. In the past, people would have said that’s impossible or accused the process of plagiarism, as it once required a whole team.

“But with AI tools such as ChatGPT, writers can now create using guidelines, not by copying wholesale,” he said told New Sarawak Tribune in a recent interview.

Dr Hasan explained that AI offers immense potential for streamlining every phase of the publishing process, from research and writing to editing and printing.

What was once a complex, multi-stage process requiring several specialists can now be managed single-handedly by the writer, he said.

“The time it used to take, from typing to typesetting, printing, and binding, has been drastically shortened,” he added, explaining that modern tools now allow authors to dictate their thoughts into smartphones, which can instantly generate and format text.

He highlighted that the NBDF has introduced the concept of self-writing, self-publishing, self-marketing, and self-selling, acting as a one-stop centre for independent authors.

“You can open your own online store, use online payment gateways, and thus complete the entire process of creating, publishing, printing, and marketing a book single-handedly.

“Of course, you may need to hire people or use software in some aspects. In other words, publishing a book today, with the presence of AI and the latest technology, is no longer a barrier,” he added.

The role of AI, however, is not to replace creativity but to expedite the mechanical aspects of writing and publishing.

He noted that self-publishing is no longer a daunting task as technology now enables individuals to write, publish, and market their own books.

“This new era of publishing allows anyone to think, write, and share their ideas in book form. There’s no longer an excuse about cost barriers. Software is affordable, and schools or community groups can collaborate to produce books,” he added.

He suggested the Sarawak government, non-governmental organisations and educational institutions serve as catalysts for book production, particularly by encouraging teachers to take part in self-publishing initiatives through local book clubs.

He said this will help Malaysia achieve a target book titles per capita of every 1,000 titles per 1 million citizens.