Between Algorithm and Empathy: Why Our Publishing Culture Is the True Competitive Advantage in the Age of AI

In recent months, hardly a day goes by without us talking about Artificial Intelligence. Most of the time, the discussion revolves around automation and efficiency: How can we structure market data faster? How do we keep track of global trends? Where can we streamline administrative workflows in sales or logistics? All of this is essential to ensuring we remain agile as a publishing group. But if we are honest, this exclusive focus on pure optimization triggers a quiet anxiety among many of us—and particularly among our authors. There is a fear that, in the end, everything will be measured and squeezed into rigid key performance indicators (KPIs). That the very heart of our work—discovering stories and the nuanced crafting of books—will be displaced by algorithms.

This concern is more than understandable. To me, this narrow discussion around efficiency falls far short. If we view AI solely as a tool for rationalization, we overlook what actually makes us strong as a group and as individual publishers like S. Fischer, Rowohlt, Droemer Knaur, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Fischer Sauerländer, or Argon: our people, our creativity, and our unique culture.

Why We Need Islands for the Unplanned

The real value in publishing—original book projects, the discovery of new literary voices, or a surprising marketing campaign—rarely arises from a rigid plan or a perfect algorithm. Instead, it springs from the unexpected, the unplanned, and from serendipity. It is the sudden idea during a chat in the coffee kitchen, the inspiring thought in the hallway after an intense editorial meeting, or the creative spark that ignites during an informal exchange about a manuscript. These are moments that can neither be measured nor automated.

Particularly within a publishing house, we must not rationalize away the spaces that allow for these interpersonal connections. On the contrary: we must consciously preserve islands for the accidental and unplanned in our daily publishing routines. Relationships with our authors, a fine intuition for societal shifts, and editorial instinct all thrive on this creative freedom.

In a world increasingly driven by highly developed artificial intelligence, three things gain immense value: personal taste, original thinking, and emotional connection. This is precisely our core competence. AI is excellent at providing us with a "first draft"—whether for a report, a data summary, or an initial ad copy. This spares us tedious busywork. But the actual magic, the true added value, only happens after that: in the creative fine-tuning, in connecting entirely unexpected ideas, in questioning established patterns, and in a fine instinct for nuances.

AI as a Tool, Humans as the Creators

Conversely, this by no means implies that we should ignore the technology. Quite the opposite: we must and will use AI intensively wherever it supports us as a smart tool. When it comes to structuring vast amounts of data or preparing well-founded decisions, AI is an enormous help. It can reveal historical patterns in the book market that might otherwise escape us.

But that is merely the preparatory groundwork. An AI analyzes the past—but it cannot predict the future. It cannot recognize a new, groundbreaking literary voice, nor can it sense what will move society tomorrow. AI provides us with options and analyses, but it does not make the final call. It takes no responsibility, and it will not replace an editor's gut feeling.

Our Diversity as a Genuine Advantage

Our trade publishers at Holtzbrinck should be understood as a living, creative ecosystem. It thrives on the diversity of our different publishing profiles, our varied editorial perspectives, and, above all, on trust. Technology and smart tools can be purchased by any competitor in the market. But our specific culture, the unmistakable identity of our publishing houses, and the collective creative power under our shared roof cannot be copied.

On its own, AI has no context or empathy. It does not know when an author or a partner needs particularly sensitive, human care today. It does not know what tomorrow's zeitgeist feels like, nor does it know how to re-energize a team after an intense project phase. It is precisely in this human connection that our decisive competitive advantage lies.

New Spaces for Publishing Courage

I hope we view this new technology as an invitation to become even bolder. Let us not use the gained efficiency to sit back, but to expand the horizon of our publishing possibilities. Let us tackle projects, formats, and innovations that previously seemed too complex, too risky, or too time-consuming.

For me, collaboration today means creating environments where people are supported by technology to grow beyond themselves—without losing the human element. If we nurture a culture in which the machine takes over the drudgery so that we can fully concentrate on originality, context, and genuine encounters, then AI is not a threat to the book. It is the strongest tailwind we have ever had.

 

Claudia Häußermann is CEO of Holtzbrinck Buchverlage. She combines the strong traditions of its publishing houses with innovative solutions that respond to evolving reader needs and changing market conditions.