The first systematic survey of artificial intelligence use in Italian book publishing, carried out by the Italian Publishers' Association (AIE) and previewed by Il Sole 24 Ore, finds that AI is already embedded across much of the sector. According to the original report, 75.3% of responding publishing brands say they use AI tools within their organisations, rising to 96.2% among groups with turnover above EUR 5 million. [1][2]

The study details where AI is being applied: 67.1% of adopters use it for press offices and communication and the same proportion for paratexts and metadata; 50.7% employ it for covers and illustrations and 49.3% for editing, proofreading and translations. Administrative tasks (31.5%), accessibility (21.9%) and commercial analysis and sales forecasts (19.2%) were also reported. [1]

Andrea Angiolini, AIE's innovation delegate, told Il Sole 24 Ore: "What struck us most was the speed of the response and the breadth of the response." He added that the decision to put AI under observation a few years ago stemmed from a desire to "try to avoid both underestimates and overestimates of the phenomenon, and let's try to give everyone the same conditions to then make their own decisions". These remarks were given in the context of presenting the survey at the national fair. [1][2]

The findings were unveiled at Più libri più liberi, the National Fair of Small and Medium Publishing, held at the Roma Convention Center – La Nuvola from 4 to 8 December 2025. The event, promoted and organised by AIE with the support of national and regional bodies, brought together hundreds of small and medium publishers and roughly 700 appointments; organisers and regional partners such as the Lazio and Emilia‑Romagna administrations emphasised the fair's role as a showcase for smaller publishers. The preview in Il Sole 24 Ore also noted the fair's heightened public attention amid protests linked to the presence of an extreme right‑wing publisher. [1][3][4][5][7]

Industry observers say the prevalence of AI in the "back office" is clear, but there are signs of growing front‑end use, especially in school, university and professional publishing where digital platforms and services based on generative AI find ready ground. According to the report, large groups have an advantage through scale and existing digital infrastructures, while smaller presses are already experimenting with AI for covers, metadata and marketing. Institutional participants at the fair, including cultural partners and organisations such as Banca d'Italia, underscored the sectoral commitment to dialogue on innovation. [1][2][5][6]

AIE frames the survey as an observatory exercise intended to inform publishers and policymakers rather than to prescribe specific uses. Industry data shows rapid uptake but varied application across company sizes and segments, underlining the need for shared conditions, transparency and continued monitoring as publishers decide how to integrate AI into editorial and commercial workflows. [1][2]

📌 Reference Map:

##Reference Map:

  • [1] (Il Sole 24 Ore) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 6
  • [2] (Italian Publishers Association - AIE) - Paragraph 1, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 5, Paragraph 6
  • [3] (Regione Lazio) - Paragraph 4
  • [4] (Regione Emilia‑Romagna) - Paragraph 4
  • [5] (Turismo Roma / event page) - Paragraph 4, Paragraph 5
  • [6] (Banca d'Italia) - Paragraph 5
  • [7] (Rai Cultura) - Paragraph 4

Source: Noah Wire Services