The emergence of Artificial Intelligence has meant that the custodians of the written word - India's publishing industry - have to ace the balancing act between availing of its benefits and ensuring that human input and originality remain at the heart of its operations
For Meru Gokhale, founder of Editrix.ai, an Artificial Intelligence-enabled editing platform, the idea to launch a game-changing tool in India's vibrant publishing landscape, emerged from a glaring human resource shortfall that she had encountered in the publishing industry. A senior editor who has worked in some of India's leading publishing houses, she found it increasingly difficult to find and retain experienced, qualified editors. "Traditional apprenticeship models for training new editors were faltering, especially with the rise of remote work, making it crucial to find more structured and accessible alternatives." The idea was to streamline the editing process while also offering accessible training opportunities, and contributing to a more inclusive publishing landscape.
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Naturally, AI's growing presence is a hotly discussed topic in the cabins and cubicles of grammar Nazis across some of India's largest publishing houses. Gaurav Shrinagesh, CEO-India, SEA&MENA, Penguin Random House, believes the possibilities are immense, "AI has the potential to revolutionise the way we create, distribute, and consume content. We are actively exploring how it can enhance our operations, support our authors, empower our teams, and improve the reader experience, all the while protecting the intellectual property of our creative contributors."
At Roli Books, the intent is to use AI for proofreading and fact checking. "However, other tasks such as structural edits, and translations that require more thought, intellect and understanding are best done the old-fashioned way. That said, as prompts get more refined and the technology improves, I am sure the use of AI will be more prevalent for tasks across the publishing process," shares Priya Kapoor, its director, who is clear that AI can save time and resources, if used well. Shrinagesh believes that that though publishing is inherently a human-centric industry, driven by skilled professionals, such editing tools can significantly streamline the editing process, ensuring consistency and reducing errors, thus enhancing efficiency.
Meru Gokhale, Gaurav Shrinagesh, Priya Kapoor and Tina Narang
Gokhale is confident that AI can play a positive role with editing tasks, "One of the most obvious benefits is the promise of increased efficiency for overworked editors, leaving more time for creative work. By automating mechanical editing tasks, AI tools can free up human editors to dedicate more time to the finer nuances of storytelling, such as character development, plot and thematic depth. This shift can lead to higher quality books and a more fulfilling experience for both editors and authors, and of course, readers." She is gung-ho with the feedback so far, "We've already welcomed our first batch of users, and the response has been great; we are, of course, always learning from them." Chandler Crawford, founder, Chandler Crawford Agency Inc. is one such beneficiary. "I used Editrix to write a submission letter for a manuscript I represent, and when my author read the letter generated by the tool, he said: "As much as I hate to admit it, I think AI has done a nice job." " For Malashri Lal, writer and former Dean, University of Delhi, the quality of editing got her vote. "It's intelligent and sophisticated, discards jargon, and is very polite in making suggestions for improvement."
However, publishers and editors have some tightrope-walking to do. "Language and translations are intricate and nuanced tasks that benefit from human touch. AI can assist and optimise, but it cannot fully replace the expertise and intuition of human editors and translators," reminds Shrinagesh. Kapoor echoes the sentiment, "While there's a lot to be excited about AI, we need to proceed with caution." She spells out areas like planning, market research, competitive titles, creating pre-publication information, blurbs for marketing purposes where it can be useful. "In short, use it for work that may be considered tedious, as AI cuts the amount of man hours spent on some tasks." While Roli Books has flirted with it for preliminary research and fact-finding, it hasn't yet used it for rigourous tasks.
At Penguin Random House, a committee oversees its AI strategy, ensuring ethical standards, internal guidelines and responsible use. "Transparency is crucial in integrating AI into the creative process, allowing us to protect copyrighted content while leveraging AI assistance. We are in the exploratory phase of understanding its role in creativity but we don't wish to limit authors with restrictive clauses and are aware of its potential to become a valuable tool in the creative process."
Tina Narag, publisher, children's books, HarperCollins India, prefers the wait-and-watch approach. "I think at the moment the approach is largely to understand how AI is being used and what are the challenges associated with its use. With children's literature, it might be useful to generate reference material, activities, illustrations and images, and so on. But in the story space where developing the story, the plot, the character and more is not mechanical or process-driven, it would still be author-led."
Having been on the other side of the table for decades, Gokhale is fully aware of the challenges, "This tool is designed with a deep respect for the sanctity of the author's voice unlike others that may impose standardised templated editing. It takes a highly personalised approach and is trained to preserve the author's voice and intent. It offers tailored editing suggestions that align with the author's unique style and specific goals for their book. Importantly, it is envisioned as a powerful ally to human editors, not a replacement."
A tempting prospect for some authors would be to use AI to wing a dream debut or a racy bestseller. Do publishers accept manuscripts created by AI-enabled tools, and can they actually 'read between the lines' if technology has been used? Turns out, publishers are equipped to detect, and also red-flag such projects. "Ethics and regulation are at the heart of the debate around AI, particularly in creative endeavours. This is a space to watch as organisations are working on creating guardrails to protect those who create. Roli does not accept AI-generated images or manuscripts -- perhaps because it's a matter of quality," reveals Kapoor. With the confidence of a seasoned publisher, she believes that intuition comes handy. Besides, there are tools to spot AI-generated text and images. Narang, like Kapoor, relies on the tried-and-tested editor's eye to call out such manuscripts, "There would be instances -- whether an uneven tone, a marked variation in writing style across the manuscript, non-linear jumps in the narrative etc. which would be red flags, and prompt one to reassess the manuscript and check for originality."
At Penguin Random House, checks and balances are implemented to ensure that authors are the sole creators of their manuscripts. "We are actively monitoring this evolving space to balance fostering creativity and maintaining authenticity," reveals Shrinagesh.
Gokhale warrants careful consideration while moving forward. "AI can be a valuable supportive tool for authors and editors but it's important to keep originality as your North Star. Our platform is designed for people who want to professionally edit their own original work." She hopes for a future in literature and publishing that is driven by a vision where AI empowers both authors and editors.
In this emerging scenario faced by publishers, Shrinagesh drafts the blueprint, "AI will continue to advance and provide opportunities to improve efficiency and discoverability. That said, I believe the human element is irreplaceable, and we must embrace innovation mindfully without compromising on authenticity, integrity and the rich tradition of storytelling."
Afterword: No human writers or editors were hurt while creating this article
NEW AI TOOL Editrix.ai, a new AI-enabled platform, offers solutions to streamline editing processes, including assistance for mechanical, voluminous tasks, freeing editors up for more creative tasks
BALANCING ACT India's publishers have adopted a cautionary approach for now, and are in the exploratory stage while seeking to maintain a balance between human input and technology
STRICT NO-NO Publishers can refuse manuscripts written by authors who have used AI tools
