AI and bookselling

Since the development of Generative Artificial Intelligence, there has been considerable discussion of its application to the book trade. But this has focused on specific aspects of the trade, particularly the experience of authors and publishers. There has been less focus on the impact of AI on the reader, and even less on how AI will affect retailers, the critical link between publishers and consumers. Like other parts of the value chain, AI will present bookshops with new opportunities and challenges, and booksellers who make the right choices will enjoy an advantage over less nimble peers.