Speaking at the start of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Börsenverein chairman Sebastian Guggolz highlighted a decline in reading literacy and warned that insufficient regulation of generative AI could exacerbate the problem.
Guggolz described the risk as a “two‑fold theft by AI: first our books, then our thoughts,” urging the industry to act before AI erodes both content and critical engagement.
He referenced “The Frankfurt Appeal,” a petition on generative AI that has already been endorsed by 120 publishers, calling for clearer legal frameworks and responsible AI use in publishing.
The appeal seeks to balance innovation with safeguards that protect authors’ rights and readers’ ability to think independently.
Guggolz’s remarks underscore growing concerns within the German book trade about the impact of AI on cultural consumption and the need for coordinated policy responses.