Publishers’ AI use draws employee objections

WIRED’s sources described publishers using ChatGPT and Claude to generate publicity materials and book-cover copy, as well as image generators to create cover art.[1] Workers also said LLMs were used to write emails to literary agents, often at executives’ direction.[2] The accounts point to uses in both outward-facing promotional work and routine communication; they do not establish how common each practice was across the industry.[1][2] Separately, reported uses being explored included expanding translation and monitoring employee productivity.[1]

According to a staffer, HarperCollins bought licenses for Claude, ChatGPT and Jasper.[2] One employee said the organization soon realized it did not know how to implement the Claude licenses.[2] HarperCollins assigned dozens of staff members to become “AI Champions” and look for possible uses, and monthly brainstorming sessions took place across the company.[2] Jasper was described as an agentic platform intended to handle marketing workflows from start to finish.[2] A staffer also said at least one HarperCollins division used AI-generated marketing videos.[2]

An agent said agents had begun asking publishers to agree not to run entire unpublished manuscripts through LLMs to generate promotional text.[1] That request highlights a specific boundary under discussion: using AI to create marketing materials from material that has not yet been published.[1] Hachette said it supports operational AI tools when they help its authors’ books reach more readers.[2] Separately, the Big Five publishers jointly sued Meta in May, alleging copyright infringement.[1] The evidence does not establish that the lawsuit is connected to the reported workplace uses of AI.[1]