Dr R K Samnotra, Dr Asha Rani
asharani2lib@gmail.com
Imagine a world where a machine can write a novel in minutes, create poems without emotions, and publish books without a human author. This is no longer a dream of the future. It is happening today. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the way we create and read books. While this technology brings many benefits, it also raises serious questions about creativity, originality, and ownership. On World Book and Copyright Day, it becomes important to think: are we moving forward, or are we putting human creativity at risk?
Every year on 23 April, the world celebrates World Book and Copyright Day, a global event dedicated to promoting the joy of reading, encouraging publishing, and protecting the rights of authors through copyright. The day was established by UNESCO in 1995 to honor the importance of books. Books are not just papers with words-they are a source of knowledge, imagination, and culture heritage.
But today, we are living in a new time where AI is becoming very powerful. AI is changing how books are written, published, and read. It is also creating new challenges for authors and copyright. So, on this World Book Day, it is important to understand the role of AI in the world of books.
AI IS CHANGING HOW BOOKS ARE WRITTEN
In the past, only humans wrote books. Writers used their ideas, creativity, and experiences to create stories. But now, AI tools can also write content. Some real-life examples of AI tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, Jasper AI, etc. These tools can give ideas for stories, correct grammar and spelling and suggest better words and sentences. These tools are very helpful, especially for students and new writers. It makes writing easier and faster. However, this also creates a big question- Who is the real author-the human or the AI? This question is very important because copyright laws are made to protect human creators, not machines.
AI IN READING AND PUBLISHING
AI is also changing how books are read and published. Some examples include Amazon Kindle, Google Translate, Audible, etc. Because of AI, reading has become easier and more interesting. People can now listen to books instead of reading them. Students can also understand difficult topics with the help of AI tools. AI is also helping publishers. It can quickly check mistakes in books and improve quality. This saves time and money.
PROBLEMS OF COPYRIGHT IN THE AI AGE
One of the main purposes of World Book and Copyright Day is to protect the rights of authors. But AI has made this more complicated. AI learns from a large amount of data. This data often includes books, articles, and other content that are already protected by copyright. When AI creates something new, it may unknowingly copy ideas or sentences from existing works. This creates many problems such as it is difficult to know if the content is original, Authors may not get credit for their work and it becomes unclear who owns AI-created content. Because of these issues, old copyright laws may not be enough. There is a need for new rules that can handle AI technology.
AI CAN ALSO PROTECT COPYRIGHT
While AI creates challenges, it also offers solutions. Some tools used for protection are: DupliChecker/Turnitin/Grammarly etc – checks if content is copied, Copyscape – finds duplicate content on the internet. These tools Detect plagiarism, find illegal copies of books online, help publishers take action against piracy, etc. This means AI is not only a problem but also a useful tool. It supports the main goal of World Book Day, which is to respect and protect creativity.
AI HELPS MORE PEOPLE TO READ
Another positive role of AI is that it helps more people enjoy books. For example: Text-to-speech tools like Microsoft Narrator help visually impaired people, AI learning apps make studies easier and Book recommendation systems help readers find interesting books. This makes reading more inclusive. It helps spread knowledge to more people, which is one of the main goals of UNESCO.
NEED FOR BALANCE AND RESPONSIBILITY
Even though AI is useful, it must be used carefully. We need to find a balance between technology and human creativity. Some important points to remember are: Human creativity should always be respected, authors should get proper credit for their work, AI should not copy content without permission and Governments should make new and fair copyright laws. Organizations like UNESCO, along with governments and publishers, must work together to solve these problems.
CONCLUSION
As we celebrate World Book and Copyright Day, it is important to recognize that books remain the foundation of knowledge and cultural development. Technology may change the format of reading-from printed pages to e-books and audio books-but the value of ideas, stories, and learning remains unchanged. AI should be viewed as a supportive tool that enhances the creation, preservation, and distribution of knowledge rather than replacing the human intellect behind it. AI is changing the world of books in many ways. It is making writing, publishing, and reading easier. At the same time, it is creating new challenges for copyright and authors’ rights.
On this World Book and Copyright Day, we should not only celebrate books but also think about the future. AI should be used as a tool to support human creativity, not replace it. The best future is one where humans and AI work together, where technology helps writers, and where authors’ rights are always protected. Only then we truly protect creativity in the digital age.
(The authors are University Librarian & Library Assistant in SKUAST-Jammu)
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