The AI Revolution in Book Publishing

Aside from the ongoing concerns about the impact of AI on authors and the writing profession, the technology is undeniably a major disruptor across the publishing industry itself. Author Thad McIlroy, an expert on publishing technology, digital publishing, and metadata, joins us to discuss his book The AI Revolution in Book Publishing and the ever-evolving trends. Umair Kazi of the Authors Guild will interview McIlroy about AI’s impact on authors, publishing companies, self-publishing, and more. Views expressed during this event may not reflect the the views of the Authors Guild. Panelists Thad McIlroy is a publishing technology analyst and author, and principal of The Future of Publishing, based in San Francisco. He is a contributing editor to Publishers Weekly, covering artificial intelligence, digital innovation and publishing startups. His latest book, The AI Revolution in Book Publishing: A Concise Guide to Navigating Artificial Intelligence for Writers and Publishers, was published in July 2024, revised in May 2025. McIlroy has authored a dozen books and over five hundred articles on digital publishing. He is co-author of the industry-standard The Metadata Handbook, 2nd Ed (co-authored with Renee Register). McIlroy served for five years as Program Director for Seybold Seminars, the publishing industry’s premier technology conference. He is a founding partner in Publishing Technology Partners, a consultancy focused on the broad range of strategic technology issues in publishing. Umair Kazi, moderator, is the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Authors Guild. He studied law at the University of Iowa, and creative writing at Columbia University.