Thinking Literature in Translation brought together representatives of publishing, translation, cultural policy, and research to critically examine the role of artificial intelligence in the contemporary book industry.
The panel Thinking Digital Transformation: Who Is Afraid of AI? explored how publishers, authors, and translators had positioned themselves in relation to AI, and how the sector had sought to balance technological innovation with ethical responsibility and the preservation of human creativity. The discussion addressed where the most significant challenges and opportunities had emerged along the publishing value chain, and questioned whether AI had been discussed more extensively than it had been productively implemented.
The speakers reflected on the impact of AI on smaller languages, smaller book markets, and small and medium-sized publishers, as well as on shifts in labour conditions and professional roles within publishing. Particular attention was given to the need for upskilling and reskilling, and to the extent to which EU and national legislative frameworks had protected copyright and creative work in the age of AI. The panel sought to identify shared positions and possible directions for responsible and sustainable integration of AI in publishing.
Speakers:
— Ela Varošanec Krsnik, CEATL (Belgium)
— Enrico Turrin, Federation of European Publishers (Belgium)
— Luis González, Fundación Germán Sánchez Ruipérez (Spain)
— Milena Tasheva, Ciela Publishing (Bulgaria)
Moderator:
— Michalis Kalamaras, Thinking (Greece)
Video: Ivan Nikolov
The conference was organised by the Next Page Foundation in partnership with the Cultural Center of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, the Department of English and American Studies at Sofia University, and the Bulgarian Book Association. It formed part of ThinkPub — Thinking Publishing, a project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union and the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria.
