“As a society we should support human authorship unequivocally…. Human creativity is the bedrock of the publishing and wider creative industries.”
—Publishers Association joint statement on artificial intelligence
At Princeton University Press, all that we are capable of and committed to as a publisher originates and endures in what authors entrust to us: the intellectual property (IP) of their books. Our global team commits their imagination and expertise daily to optimize the impact of authors’ writing—from acquisitions to art direction, manuscript editing to marketing, licensing to listening in audiobooks. We do so in an environment of constant change and with purposeful publishing as our compass.
Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) are propellers of change. As we make time to understand the contributory potential of these tools for our publishing, our purpose and mission remains that compass our authors and publishing assert: that AI needs humanity to realize its positive impact and to provide an ethical framework for its engagement and application.
Within scholarly publishing, AI tools have already been shaping how research is done and how books are discovered. We believe there is potential in generative AI and LLMs to further support and enhance our collaborations. As we work to create clarity of intentions and principles of engagement, we will assert our and authorial humanity in every decision. We will continue to prioritize the protection of the intellectual property authors entrust to us, including preventing to the best of our ability the use of PUP content by LLMs that do not acknowledge or respect the integrity of knowledge or its valuation, or copyright law.
We believe PUP publications have the potential to influence society and generate conversations globally, and therefore need to be discoverable and knowable. But we also will work with unwavering determination, as we long have, to ensure any engagement or use of this IP aligns with our mission, and what we know to be the intention of authors—to bring scholarly knowledge to the world, and in so doing to ensure its humanity and integrity.
As a member of the Association of American Publishers, we are aligned with the Human Artistry Campaign’s seven principles of AI best practices:
- Technology has long empowered human expression, and AI will be no different.
- Human-created works will continue to play an essential role in our lives.
- Use of copyrighted works, and use of the voices and likenesses of professional performers, requires authorization, licensing, and compliance with all relevant state and federal laws.
- Governments should not create new copyright or other IP exemptions that allow AI developers to exploit creators without permission or compensation.
- Copyright should only protect the unique value of human intellectual creativity.
- Trustworthiness and transparency are essential to the success of AI and protection of creators.
- Creators’ interests must be represented in policymaking.
We will continue to expect our publishing partners to demonstrate a shared respect for and protection of that humanity, including copyright and freedoms of expression. We will continue to center our human collaborations, engaging the tools of AI available to us only in ways that enhance our ability to achieve our publishing mission, and to support our team and their ability to create an energetic and enduring life of impact for authors’ creative works.