Digital age will not eliminate authors

Digital technology has made sharing any type of content possible, says digital media expert

Technology will not change the way we write books, but it will alter the way we publish and share content, said speakers on the second day of the Knowledge Summit at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Discussing the ‘Future of creating content’, Stephanie Duncan, digital media director at Bloomsbury publishing, stressed that technology will not eliminate the need for authors and publishers in a world that is rapidly becoming digital.

“Authors will always have an idea they need to write down or say out loud — we will not get to an age where computers will be able to come up with stories. We need a person who has a notion and can share that through emotion,” she said.

Duncan referred to technologies that have allowed us to access information and content differently. “Online libraries and the sharing of content through digital (technology) have made things like sharing any type of content possible — something that was not in the printed versions of the books,” she said.

The speaker also touched on self-publishing online, easy navigation when reading online, and accessibility as some of the results of content going digital.

“Books started off with limited distribution, then the printing press came about and started making books and knowledge easily disseminated. Now, with content becoming increasingly in digital format, the question is: how do we use digital to make content accessible to as many people worldwide as possible?”

However, with most technological developments come a few challenges. “The challenge is finding a way to make information easily accessible to all, but at the same time to ensure that the payment is made to the author and the publisher who helps bring the author’s work to the world,” added Duncan.

Emphasising that “content isn’t free”, she referred to the use of blockchain as a method to ensure that content is shared and verified, while ensuring that authors are getting paid along the way.

Marta Piekarska, director of ecosystem at Hyperledger, pointed out certification and reputation as two of the main advantages of using block chains. “The future will be a world where we aim to collaborate and move into a decentralised world and trust would be something we build together,” she said.