HarperCollins Inks AI Licensing Deal for Nonfiction Books

HarperCollins has confirmed that they have struck a licensing agreement with an undisclosed AI company will “allow limited use of select nonfiction backlist titles for training AI models to improve model quality and performance,” per a company statement shared with PW.

Authors who opt into the program will receive $2,500, per an email shared on Bluesky by author Daniel Kibblesmith, sent by the agent who represented his 2017 picture book title Santa's Husband, illustrated by A.P. Quach, requesting his permission to allow the book to train the model. The email added that “HarperCollins has been required to keep this company’s identity confidential” as part of the agreement.

“HarperCollins has a long history of innovation and experimentation with new business models,” the statement continued. "Part of our role is to present authors with opportunities for their consideration while simultaneously protecting the underlying value of their works and our shared revenue and royalty streams. This agreement, with its limited scope and clear guardrails around model output that respects author’s rights, does that.”

HC parent company News Corp has been aggressively pursuing AI deals. Earlier this year, the company reached an agreement for AI training on Wall Street Journal content.