EIBF unveils Charter on Artificial Intelligence

Today, on the UN International Media and Information Literacy Day, the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF) is proud to release its Charter on Artificial Intelligence, outlining our vision and guiding principles for the responsible and ethical use of AI in the bookselling and wider book ecosystem. 

The book sector and society as a whole find themselves at a watershed moment: AI offers both significant opportunities and serious challenges. EIBF recognises that AI technologies can bring efficiency, innovation, and operational support for booksellers. At the same time, AI raises serious concerns around copyright, transparency, accountability, and environmental sustainability. EIBF stresses that a robust protection of copyright and creators’ rights is fundamental to sustaining cultural diversity, innovation, and fair competition. 

Among the guiding principles, the Charter highlights: 

• Copyright as the foundation of the book ecosystem. Intellectual property protection remains essential to the sustainability of authors, publishers, and booksellers alike. 
• Innovation built on respect for rights. Creative works protected under copyright enable technological development, including AI systems themselves. 
• Governance and accountability. EIBF supports the EU AI Act as a basis for trustworthy AI but underlines the importance of effective enforcement and ongoing monitoring. 
• Human-centric and ethical AI. Developers of generative AI tools should disclose the data sources used to train their models, ensuring transparency and fair use of creative works. 
• Transparency for consumers. Readers should be able to identify when content has been generated by AI, through clear, standardised labelling developed through the industry’s initiative. 
• Environmental responsibility. AI developers and providers should take responsibility for the environmental impact of their systems in line with broader green objectives. 
• Fair competition and support for SMEs. Policies and initiatives should consider the realities of small and medium-sized enterprises, which form the majority of the European book sector. 

EIBF President, Fabian Paagman, notes: “With this Charter, EIBF reaffirms its commitment to promoting innovation while safeguarding the rights of creators, ensuring transparency for consumers, and supporting a competitive and sustainable book industry. We look forward to working closely with our colleagues across the book sector to uphold these shared values.” 

Read the full Charter below.