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The rise of AI is reshaping publishing faster than ever—from adaptive learning to AI-generated content, the industry is entering uncharted territory. But with great opportunity comes great risk: Will AI disrupt traditional publishing, or will it become its greatest asset?
To get the inside scoop, we spoke with industry leaders from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, Karger Publishers, and Express Publishing about the biggest AI-driven changes ahead. From 200+ potential AI use cases to the delicate balance between innovation and trust, their insights reveal what publishers must do to stay competitive.
Lewis has been working with Ludenso since 2022, including AR enhanced textbooks as part of the solutions Cambridge offers to governments internationally. He also writes an incredibly sharp—and very funny—newsletter that anyone in publishing should follow! (You can find it here).
Can you tell us briefly about yourself, and why you wanted to work in the educational publishing industry?
I'm Head of Publishing Solutions in the Partnership for Education team at Cambridge University Press & Assessment. I've been working in educational publishing for 20 years and was first drawn to the sector by the prospect of helping make a difference in people's lives.
Looking ahead to 2025, what are some potential disruptions you believe publishers need to be prepared for, and how can they proactively build resilience into their strategies?
While everyone is focused on the impact of AI on the educational publishing industry, we need to make sure we don't lose track of the coming changes to textbook regulation. The return of Trump to the White House in 2025 will potentially see greater decentralisation of curriculum decisions in the US and the Republican's ground game has left a conservative majority in many school boards. We might see similar trends in other countries that have recently shifted to a more conservative stance. Publishing tends to be a progressive trade, so there could be challenges coming down the road for the climate education, social and emotional learning, and DEI initiatives that have become a prominent feature of many publishers' materials.
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How do you think AR and AI might shape academic content, and what unique role can publishers play?
Customer and user expectations are rising, but there's a digital literacy gap to work out how and where to best use new and emerging technologies. There's potential for publishers to play a leading role here by modelling and designing for effective use cases. But there's a need for publishers to understand the strengths and weaknesses of new technology to make sure they're putting the right foot forward. The big risk for publishers is that they forget what makes their products distinctive as they rush to be an early adopter, because if there's nothing uniquely and demonstrably beneficial about their own offer, customers will just use freely available tools.
How will publisher–technology partnerships evolve by 2025, and what will define the most impactful collaborations?
Publishers often don't have the bandwidth to do everything so partnerships are crucial for making the most of the new opportunities presented by technology. We recognise the importance of expertise in our content, so we need to also recognise the importance of expertise in technology. We need to be open to partnership and experimentation - and do so in a way that lets us test the results and work out what works.
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Not everything will work and that's okay! I'd like the industry to talk more about failures as well as successes because transparency in the journey towards impactful publishing is vital to building and maintaining the trust of the students, teachers, and parents who ultimately use and purchase our resources.
Silvan has collaborated with Ludenso since 2023, leading Karger to become the world’s first academic publisher to offer AR enrichments in journal articles. If you’re exploring new ideas in medical publishing, Silvan is the one to speak with. And if you’re a startup seeking an impactful pitching opportunity, be sure to check out the Vesalius Innovation Award.
Can you tell us briefly about yourself and why you wanted to work in the publishing industry?
I'm head of Innovation & Ventures, and I started working for Karger five years ago. I had a background in engineering before earning my MBA, and I was looking for a role where I could truly make an impact. The publishing industry was under pressure, and I could see the company evolving. And for me, that was very, very exciting.
What are some potential disruptions you believe publishers need to be prepared for? And how can they proactively build resilience into strategies?
Potential disruptions to keep an eye on revolve around AI and Open Access, which open up a massive range of challenges and opportunities in our knowledge-based industry. In a recent workshop, we identified around 200 possible AI use cases, so the scope is huge. These use cases will differ from publisher to publisher, depending on who the end users are. To stay resilient, we need to focus on real user needs and form strategic partnerships — because, at heart, we’re not a tech company.
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Early on, when we at Karger experimented with AI, the quality just wasn’t there. Now, large language models can be very powerful, but still prone to issues like hallucinations. Maintaining trust is crucial, which is why we uphold strict standards on content quality, data security, and transparency. We collaborate with experts—like Ludenso—to adapt quickly while preserving excellence. Resilience, for us, is all about balancing innovation with trust, ensuring that everything we publish meets the highest standards.
How do you think AR and AI might shape academic content, and what unique role can publishers play?
AR and AI are powerful tools that can transform academic content into more digestible and engaging formats — think AI-generated podcasts or interactive enhancements. But publishers must ensure transparency about how these technologies are used, as trust and quality are central to what we do.
We at Ludenso absolutely love Silvan’s idea so much that we’ve turned this entire blog post into an AI-generated audio version! Check it out - and let us know if you can spot any AI slip-ups!
Each publisher has its own workflow and distinct end-users, so there’s no one-size-fits-all solution: processes must be integrated without compromising editorial standards. Ultimately, we shape academic content by curating it, maintaining rigorous quality control, and keeping our audiences’ needs at the forefront — because that’s where we as publishers deliver real value.
How will publisher–technology partnerships evolve in 2025, and what will define the most impactful collaborations?
In 2025, I believe publishers will increasingly rely on partnerships with tech providers because we aren’t tech companies ourselves—we specialize in content creation, knowledge transfer, and quality control. Building AI or large language models on our own just isn’t feasible, so we focus on user needs and let the right partners help us deliver real value.
What defines a truly impactful collaboration is the ability to adapt quickly and provide high-quality results, which is exactly why working with Ludenso is so valuable. Technology evolves at breakneck speed, and it would be an illusion to think we could outpace dedicated tech partners — so forming strategic, trusted alliances will be key to thriving in our rapidly changing industry.
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Virginia and her team at Express have partnered with Ludenso since 2023, launching multiple AR-enriched ELT titles. Few publishers move as quickly as Express, making them a prime source of inspiration — we highly recommend following their social media here.
Can you tell us briefly about yourself and what inspired you to work in ELT publishing?
I’m the CMO at Express Publishing. As a marketing enthusiast with a passion for meaningful work, education and specifically ELT felt like a natural fit. I find it fulfilling to contribute to an industry that makes a difference, while challenging norms and introducing updated trends to keep Express Publishing relevant and competitive.
Looking ahead to 2025, what disruptions do you think ELT publishers should prepare for, and how can they adapt their strategies to stay competitive?
AI has been one of the most significant advancements in recent years in all industries, including ELT. Immersive learning through AR has also been impactful, making education more engaging and interactive. I think the biggest shift will be towards adaptive learning with AI, allowing for more personalized learning experiences. Publishers should explore how to integrate these technologies to improve learning outcomes and use real-time analytics effectively as data continues to play an important role.
How do you envision AR and AI transforming English language learning materials, and what unique value can ELT publishers provide to enhance language learning?
I think AR and AI can both be valuable tools, especially for catering to different learning styles. They give students the freedom to choose the tools that help them best explore, understand, and learn the language. As ELT publishers, our role is to provide these immersive experiences to meet the diverse needs of our learners while supporting teachers in personalizing their teaching time and approaches more effectively.
What are you most looking forward to in 2025?
As a marketer, I’m excited about exploring trends and finding innovative ways to integrate them into the education sector. I'm also eager to build new partnerships and collaborate on the initiatives that Express Publishing is planning for 2025. While I can't share all the details just yet, I’m confident they will make an impact.
AI and AR present real opportunities for the publishing industry. As these interviews show, success hinges on strategic partnerships, maintaining quality and trust, and addressing the unique needs of each audience.
