Books in the Age of AI: A Technologist’s Reflection
At first glance, it may seem that in an AI-driven, digital world, books are losing their relevance. Yet as I walked through the bustling halls of the Malta Book Festival a few weeks ago, it was crowded, surrounded by people clutching fresh reads and discovering new stories. This scene told a very different story.
I grew up in a house full of books. The grandchild of educators, raised by parents who always had a book in hand, I learned early that books weren’t objects, they were companions. As the second child, I spent much of my childhood in a healthy competition with my brother over who could read the most. He “won” more often than I’d care to admit. All these experiences, planted something deep in me: a lifelong instinct to reach for a book whenever I want to understand, escape, or simply think.
So no, books aren’t dead. But in today’s high-tech, fast-scrolling world, they are asking us to evolve with them. And as I reflect on both the festival and my own upbringing, here’s how I think we can help books thrive in their next chapter.
1. Books as a Way to Slow Down
Growing up in a home where silence often meant someone was reading, I learned that books are an antidote to chaos. They slow us down. They teach us to sit with ideas.
This is more than sentimentality. In a world of distraction, books offer depth and stillness, qualities we need now more than ever. Let books be the places where readers come to breathe.
2. Meet New Readers Where They Are
My brother and I grew up devouring physical books, but today’s readers, especially young ones, move between formats. They might listen to an audiobook on the bus or like me, while driving, read an e-book in bed, or watch an author interview online.
Publishers need to meet that energy. Could every book exist in print, digital, and audio versions as a given? AI could definitely help here not just in the creation of these versions, but also in streamlining accessibility; from adaptive formats to enhanced translations. We have an opportunity to make reading more inclusive than ever.
3. Bring Books Into the Real World
Some of my favourite childhood memories involve talking about books. That sense of community is still alive. Books can enhance that sense of connection: through theatre, workshops, book clubs, festivals, readings.
And technology can amplify it through hybrid events, VR-enhanced storytelling, community recommendations or storyline personalisation and the intelligent use of AI. These tools could surely enrich the human experience around books and story telling.
4. Begin With Children: and the Magic of Print
My own love of books came from physical reading: the weight of the book, the turning of the page, the world expanding in words and illustrations. Give that to children today, and let them carry it forward.
But let’s also consider giving them companions to the printed book: interactive digital editions, read-aloud versions, gentle technology that complements the tactile magic of early reading.
5. Don’t Fear Innovation: Embrace Coexistence
At the Malta Book Festival, the energy was great, but I felt it centred almost entirely on the physical book. There was little digital engagement and while the print-lover in me felt proud, the futurist in me saw an opportunity.
I don’t see innovation as the enemy of literature. Print and tech don’t need to battle. They can and should grow side by side. We just need to guide that coexistence with creativity and clear ethical safeguards, always keeping the human author’s voice at the centre.
Final Thought
Books shaped me: they also shaped my home, my family, and the way I understand the world. And I see that potential still. If we honour the soul of reading while embracing the tools of our age, the future of books will be as rich, tactile, imaginative, and transformative as ever.