Book indexing and generative AI
Keywords:
indexing, AI, publishingAbstract
Artificial intelligence is now incorporated into many systems and processes, including within the publishing sector. In this article, I consider its application to book indexing. Following an overview of human indexing processes and existing indexing technology, I report on the results of experiments with the use of generative AI tools for indexing and related tasks. Currently, such tools create inaccurate and limited indexes, suggesting there is limited benefit in using such tools for book indexing. I also note some of the legal and contractual barriers to publishing freelancers’ use of generative AI tools in their work.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Tanya Izzard
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