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The Netherlands’ largest publisher, Veen Bosch & Keuning (VBK), has announced plans to use AI to translate commercial fiction books. VBK is owned by Simon & Schuster, one of the largest publishers in the world, leaving many authors and translators wondering if the publishing giant is hoping to explore more AI applications across divisions.
This artificial intelligence translation project was set in motion by a series of acquisitions. First, private equity firm KKR purchased Simon & Schuster in August 2023. At the time of the sale, KKR expressed an intention to help Simon & Schuster expand into international markets, especially Europe. Simon & Schuster then bought Veen Bosch & Keuning in May 2024 and announced the AI translation project in late November 2024.
The Terms of the Simon & Schuster AI Translation Deal
VBK commercial director Vanessa van Hofwegen told The Guardian that the company’s initial AI translation project contains fewer than 10 titles. All the books translated will be commercial fiction, and no literary fiction will be used for the experimental project. van Hofwegen said none of the selected books have previously sold English rights, and VBK thinks the books are unlikely to sell English rights in the future.
Authors have been asked to give permission for their books to be translated using artificial intelligence. VBK has also said that there will be an editing phase after the AI translation is complete, so it won’t be published until after a person reviews it at least once. VBK has stated that the AI model will be used to translate existing books only, not generate new books. VBK has not disclosed which AI company or AI model it plans to use for the translations.
Authors and Translators Push Back on AI Translation Deal
Multiple authors and translators have expressed concerns about using an AI model to translate books, even if a human is performing an editing pass afterward. Ian Giles, chair of the Translators Association at the Society of Authors (SoA), voiced his worries to the Bookseller, an industry specialist new publication.
Giles cited an SoA survey that found that one-third of literary translators are already losing work to AI. He also expressed hesitations about the quality of the AI translations.
“If authors wouldn’t let AI write their own work, do they wish it to be translated by AI?” he asked. “If this publisher feels the need to consult human translators or editors to adjust the output, they are recognising the flaws in this approach. A low-quality translation, even following post-editing, will misrepresent or at worst negatively affect the author’s original work unbeknownst to them.”
Learn more: Unbabel CEO Predicts AI Will Take Over Translation Jobs Within Three Years