Major Publishers Use AI for Cover Art and Marketing Despite Anti-AI Stance

Three of the five major publishers are reportedly using AI to generate cover art, cover copy, and publicity materials without notifying authors or the public, according to an anonymous Wired report. This comes despite the industry's legal battle against Meta over alleged copyright infringement. The report, based on interviews with over two dozen publishing employees, claims publishers are using tools like ChatGPT and image generators for promotional work. This coincides with declining literacy rates and a 16.1% revenue growth for publishers since 2021, suggesting a bottom-line focus. Executives are also exploring AI for translation and productivity monitoring, with some agents now requiring contracts that prevent publishers from running manuscripts through LLMs. The industry's AI concerns extend to copyright issues, as seen in a scrapped $2 million book deal over potential AI elements.