Artificial Intelligence is a contentious subject in the world of books. From accusations of publishers selling authors’ writing to train AI and LLMs (Large Language Models) without informing them, to the infamous New York Times copyright infringement lawsuit against Open AI and Microsoft, most of the current tech-related stories in the publishing industry are dominated by a sense of pessimism and doom.
Rebind Publishing, however, wants to change this. Founded by two philosophy professors John Kaag and Clancy Martin, this new app hopes to reimagine the way we engage with classics. For this project, Kaag and Martin have paired classic works of literature with prestigious figures within the current literary world, and using AI-powered technology, have created a new, accessible reading experience. Rebind aims to provide personalised, tutorial-style conversations to accompany you as you read classics. Delving into Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness, for example, will be enhanced by commentary from Pulitzer Prize finalist Chloé Cooper Jones, while Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence comes with the insights of writer Roxane Gay. There are many texts and “Rebinders” to choose from, with new figures being announced as the platform evolves (Margaret Atwood’s upcoming contribution to Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities, is a particular source of excitement, as is Leena Dunham’s take on E. M. Forster’s Room with a View). At the heart of these pairings is not necessarily academic expertise, but instead an emphasis on personal connections with a book. As Laura Kipnis reveals when Kaag approached her about becoming a “Rebinder” for Romeo and Juliet, “my job wasn’t to be a Shakespeare expert, it was to be interesting”.
What is particularly appealing about Rebind is the unique way it engages with AI technology. Up until now, most book-related products that use Artificial Intelligence have done so fairly timidly and non-invasively (The StoryGraph’s AI-powered feature providing a short analysis of whether you might enjoy a book comes to mind), so it is particularly intriguing to see a company taking bold and innovative leaps in this new realm of tech. What’s more, Rebind’s goal is to encourage users to practise more careful and deliberate reading practices: “the most important things in life aren’t surface-level or hurried” states their website. Accusations of surface-level reading have run rife with the growing popularity of BookTok and Bookstagram, and new technologies seem to be the main perpetrators. It therefore feels like a particular source of optimism to see a project such as Rebind striving to tackle an issue that people have accused technology of fostering and perpetuating in the world of books, all the while using this exact technology to try to solve it.
Equally as exciting and refreshing is seeing Rebind’s engagement with the ethical debates surrounding Artificial Intelligence. Copyright is often at the forefront of concerns surrounding AI’s role in publishing, but a combination of using classics in the public domain and compensating “Rebinders” for their time and knowledge—at times up to 20 hours worth of conversations have been used to train Rebind’s AI software—has convinced even the most sceptical and uninitiated. Roxane Gay, for example, has been frequently and vocally critical of AI in her newsletter, and when announcing her collaboration with Rebind stated “it involves AI but I’m not onboarding anything about AI”. Similarly, Irish Booker Prize winner John Banville admitted “I can’t pretend to understand the thing, I’m an old guy you know” about his involvement with the project. The fact that Rebind has encouraged contributions from those who do not entirely condone or comprehend Artificial Intelligence is a hopeful sign that opinions can be changed, and that AI in the publishing industry can be used ethically, and ultimately for good. In the words of Gay, “anything that will get people reading is generally wonderful”. Just as reassuring is the adamant pledge of Rebind’s sole investor, Dubuque, that selling users’ data will not be on the cards (“one hundred percent never. It will be in writing. Never going to do it”). It is worth noting, however, that similar sentiments were—and continue to be—expressed by big companies such as Google and Facebook when this is not always necessarily the case.
Ethics and technology aside, what makes Rebind perhaps most distinctive is its focus on the love of reading. Most current online resources about classic literature are entirely pedagogical, designed for students to quickly skim and get to grips with long, difficult texts in order to boost grades and hit deadlines. While Rebind can certainly be used by students and does provide educational insights, the aim is in many ways the opposite of these online resources. It requires users to slow down and spend time with books that are often dismissed as too complex or incomprehensible. Described by Kaag as the “director’s cut of the book”, Rebind combines the most appealing elements of a book club and book guide all into one product to make a fairly individual and sometimes isolating experience into something more communal and accessible.
Bold and innovative, Rebind’s story and mission serve as an exciting alternative, showing how Artificial Intelligence can not only coexist alongside, but also enhance the world of books and reading. AI has benefits and drawbacks in all situations, and of course Rebind is no exception. Important questions must still be raised: how accessible can a product really be if the target audience is expected to have the leisure time as well as the disposable income to spend 30$ on a Rebind book? How ethical can any AI software be given the growing concerns about digital colonialism and inequalities? Rebind has taken optimistic steps to begin engaging with ethical issues involving new technologies, I hope that as the platform evolves and develops, it can continue to tackle difficult and complex topics at the heart of the AI debate within the publishing industry.
Words by Sofia Cristobal Holman-Smith