Those Who Understand Technology Will Win: The Era of Artificial Intelligence in Publishing

27 October 2025

Those Who Understand Technology Will Win: The Era of Artificial Intelligence in Publishing

Istanbul Commerce University, in collaboration with the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO) Printing and Publishing Professional Committee No. 32, the Turkish Printing and Publishing Professional Association, and the Press and Publishing Association, organized the Publishing Summit in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. The Summit held at the Sâdâbâd Campus in Sütlüce opened up a discussion on the future of the publishing industry from a human-centered perspective. The opening speeches of the summit, which was also attended by Dr. Erhan Erken, Chairman of the Board of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO), were delivered by Dr. İsrafil Kuralay, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Istanbul Commerce University; Prof. Dr. Necip Şimşek, Rector of Istanbul Commerce University; Münir Üstün, Member of the Board of Directors of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce; Halil Çelik, Chairman of the ITO No. 32 Printing and Publishing Professional Committee, and M. Burhan Genç, Chairman of the Turkish Printing and Publishing Professional Association. The summit, at which scientist Prof. Dr. Sinan Canan delivered the opening speech, was attended by Taner Beyoğlu, Director General of Libraries and Publications at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Erdal Cesar, Secretary General of Istanbul Commerce University; Mustafa Karagüllüoğlu, President of the Press and Publishing Association; Sadettin Budak, Member of the Board of Directors of MÜSİAD (Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association) and Chairman of the Publishing and Media Sector Board; Oğuz Karakaş, Director of Anadolu Agency Publications; publishing house managers; members of the press; deans; academics; and students. Publications, and Media Sector Board Chairman Sadettin Budak, Anadolu Agency Publications Director Oğuz Karakaş, publishing house managers, press members, deans, academics, and students.

Common emphasis: “Human labor and ethical framework”

In his speech, Dr. Kuralay, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, stated that publishing is one of the areas most affected by digitalization and artificial intelligence, emphasizing that technology is not only a tool but also brings its own culture with it. Dr. Kuralay said that paper books are still going strong, as clearly seen by the intense interest at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Dr. Kuralay emphasized the importance of using technology in a balanced way with human labor and cultural values, stating, “I don’t ask artificial intelligence while writing my articles, because then the writing would no longer belong to me.”

“Cannot be ignored”

Rector Prof. Dr. Şimşek also stated that artificial intelligence is a “method that facilitates thinking” built on a mathematical foundation, adding that the publishing industry cannot ignore this transformation. Prof. Dr. Şimşek stated that they were pleased to contribute to this discussion with the university’s academic staff and resources. Münir Üstün stated that artificial intelligence has reshaped “the way we produce and transmit knowledge,” noting that ethical principles and the protection of intellectual property rights should remain at the center of the debate, alongside efficiency and access. Burhan Genç also defined artificial intelligence as “a double-edged power similar to nuclear energy,” stating that ethical and legal boundaries must be supported by public balance in this technology, which is rapidly being developed by companies. Halil Çelik emphasized that publishing is not merely a production line but “the heart of cultural transmission,” raising the question of how to preserve the value of human-made content alongside the speed and convenience that artificial intelligence brings to the sector.

Opening Session: “Remaining Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”

The opening session of the Publishing Summit in the Age of Artificial Intelligence was moderated by Prof. Dr. Öykü İyigün, Head of the Management Information Systems (English) Department at Istanbul Commerce University’s Faculty of Business Administration, and featured a speech by scientist Prof. Dr. Sinan Canan. Prof. Dr. Sinan Canan emphasized that at the core of artificial intelligence lies the language, knowledge, and cultural accumulation produced by humans. Prof. Dr. Canan began her speech by stating, “Artificial intelligence is a technology derived from human speech; it cannot express anything new, it only reshapes what already exists.” She emphasized that creativity is not about rapid production, but rather the courage to construct what has not yet been said. Prof. Dr. Canan stated that today’s digital world has turned attention into a commodity by targeting the weaknesses of human psychology, adding that individuals must adopt a conscious stance in order to maintain their self-awareness in this era. Prof. Dr. Canan stated that using technology as a tool to elevate humanity requires cultural maturity. The session concluded with the message that as long as people can set their own agenda, enrich their language, and make sense of technology, they can be the most powerful agents of their time.

Session 1 – Children’s Publishing and Illustration

The first session of the Summit, titled Children’s Publishing and Illustration, was moderated by Associate Professor İlker Köse. During the session, Dr. Melike Palsü Kurt from the Presidential Digital Transformation Office, Nurgül Şenefe, Founding President of the Illustrators Platform, Adem Kaya, Editor-in-Chief of Zürafa Publications, and Ahmet Melih Karauğuz, children’s book author, discussed how children’s publishing and illustration should position themselves in the age of artificial intelligence, exploring the opportunities, risks, and ethical boundaries involved. Kurt emphasized that “artificial intelligence awareness” should begin in childhood, referring to the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. He said that screen time debates alone are not sufficient, and that the real issues are algorithmic awareness, ethics, and cybersecurity. Sharing examples of the organization’s space and artificial intelligence-themed projects for children, Kurt said, “We must see coding not as a goal in itself, but as part of a culture of analytical thinking and problem solving.”

The second speaker, Şenefe, stated that generative artificial intelligence exacerbates issues of “rights violations and transparency” in creative industries. Warning that without education and social awareness, users could become “managed consumers,” Şenefe called for data mining processes to be addressed in terms of copyright and human rights, and for the principles of transparent educational data, consent, and remuneration to be clarified.

Kaya, meanwhile, drew attention to the policies of major international publishers that restrict the use of artificial intelligence in children’s books. While finding text headings and language correction are useful auxiliary functions, Kaya emphasized that artistic production and pedagogical supervision should remain the responsibility of humans. Reminding us that e-books have not replaced printed books, he conveyed the message that “The goal is not rapid production, but producing good work.” Quoting from the poem Mihriban by poet Abdürrahim Karakoç, he reminded us that despite all the threats artificial intelligence poses to humans, it will never be able to convey the emotion expressed in the line, “The flame flickering in the lamp is shivering.”

The final speaker of the session, Karauğuz, also positioned artificial intelligence as a tool that is “not a replacement for art, but an assistant.” Karauğuz stated that artificial intelligence can reduce time in stages such as drafting, scene design, and visual creation, but that the real added value will emerge in areas such as data analytics in publishing. He also touched upon the problems of low profitability and inefficiency in publishing in Turkey and recommended the smart use of technology.

Session 2: Edition and Translation

The session on “Edition and Translation,” moderated by Taner Beyoğlu, Director General of Libraries and Publications at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, featured M. Murtaza Özeren, Project Editor at Kronik Kitap; Halil İbrahim Binici, Director of Publications at Istanbul Commerce University; Dr. Sedat Demir, General Publishing Director of Epona Publications, and Prof. Dr. Işın Öner, Lecturer in Translation and Interpreting at 29 May University, participated in the session.

Özeren stated that third-party AI tools used individually by translators leave the sector “uncontrolled” and called on publishers to invest in customized translation-editing engines tailored to their own needs. Özeren said, “Artificial intelligence is not a ‘subject’ but a tool.” For this reason, publishing houses should employ artificial intelligence operators and provide systematic training to editors and translators. “If the tool is properly designed and monitored, it will not replace the profession; on the contrary, it will increase the value of qualified editors and translators,” he said.

Binici also said that editorial agents are beginning to be used in major academic publishing houses, and that the first results will be seen shortly. Binici, recalling the artificial intelligence ethics framework published by YÖK (Higher Education Council) in Turkey in 2024, proposed the preparation of a common ethical usage guide for the entire sector, spearheaded by university publishing.

Dr. Demir emphasized that artificial intelligence will inevitably become a partner in publishing, but that it cannot replace style and personal experience in fiction and poetry. Dr. Demir, who stated that binding rules are necessary in the field of copyright and editing, said, “The cliché plot is created by the machine; but the trauma, the accumulation, is still created by the writer.”

The final speaker, Prof. Dr. Öner, shared his classroom experiments based on Can Yücel and Shakespeare in his speech. He explained that while ChatGPT sometimes produced successful results in terms of rhyme and rhythm when imitating English poetic forms, it produced obvious errors in syllable count, fluency, and layers of meaning when switching to Turkish. Prof. Dr. Öner said that these findings show that machine translation cannot yet replace human translators’ aesthetic decisions and their ability to intuitively understand language.

Session 3: Educational Publishing and Marketing

The session on Educational Publishing and Marketing, moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gözde Sunal, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Istanbul Commerce University, featured Brand Expert and Author Ömer Şengüler, Dr. Fatih Kaleci, Assistant Professor at Necmettin Erbakan University, Prof. Dr. Selman Tunay Kamer, Coordinator of Artificial Intelligence Studies at Kastamonu University, and Dr. Umut Köksal, Founder of UK Consulting, participated as speakers.

Şengüler said in his speech that with the acceleration of access to information, publishing houses will evolve from being merely printing institutions to content curators. Emphasizing that the publisher’s brand trust will be the decisive factor in reader preferences, Şengüler stated that the ‘digital twins’ of individuals and institutions can already be produced, and therefore a selective and guiding publishing approach will come to the fore.

Dr. Kaleci also stated that academic publishing has achieved the highest yield from artificial intelligence integration. Dr. Kaleci explained that processes have been reduced to weeks thanks to the automation of editorial steps such as preliminary review, source language verification, plagiarism checks, and reference updates. Dr. Kaleci, who noted the rise of new formats such as open access and live streaming, called for stricter oversight to counter parallel risks of ethical violations and fake publishing.

Prof. Dr. Kamer emphasized that technological transformation transforms roles rather than eliminating professions. Prof. Dr. Kamer stated that artificial intelligence acts as an assistant in educational publishing for tasks such as summarization, visualization, and content ranking; however, the final content must be verified by human editors in terms of pedagogical suitability, ethics, and level.

The final speaker, Dr. Köksal, also stated that success in educational publishing is based on the combination of data analytics and artificial intelligence. Dr. Köksal explained that machine learning is used to interpret readers’ page/minute-based reading habits, drop-off points, and return rates; thus enabling personalized content recommendations, region- and audience-based sales forecasts, and optimization in inventory and printing planning.

Session 4: Copyright

The final session was moderated by Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Şeker, Dean of the Faculty of Law at Istanbul Commerce University. The speakers were Dr. Belgin Aslan, Director of the Department of International Relations and Certification at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism; Attorney Melahat Boran, Secretary General of the Turkish Printing and Publishing Association; and Attorney Cahit Suluk, Associate Professor at Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Law.

The first speaker, Dr. Aslan, stated that artificial intelligence regulations are rapidly spreading globally, particularly noting that the EU Artificial Intelligence Regulation imposes new obligations on publishers. Dr. Aslan stated that this regulation requires general-purpose artificial intelligence systems to disclose data sources, comply with copyright policies, and ensure transparency in model training. He added that although there is no specific law on artificial intelligence in Turkey, Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works remains the fundamental basis.

Attorney Boran also stated that copyrighted publications are an inevitable data source in the training of artificial intelligence systems, adding that the solution lies in collective licensing and transparency principles. Attorney Boran cited examples from the Meta and OpenAI lawsuits, stating that model training with pirated content is now considered a violation in international courts.

Attorney Assoc. Prof. Dr. Suluk reminded the audience that copyright law is an incentive and monopoly system born in the industrial age and listed three fundamental problem areas encountered in the age of artificial intelligence: the use of training data, the protection of rights over the outputs produced, and issues of imitation or adaptation. Dr. Suluk stated that the classic understanding of copyright offers broad protection but that unauthorized data use in model training increases the risk of infringement, emphasizing that outputs should not be given the status of works. Dr. Suluk stated that the approach adopted worldwide is that “the author is human, while artificial intelligence is considered merely a tool.”