The future of publishing will be shaped by major trends, challenges and opportunities. From generative AI and data to copyright, freedom to publish and changing markets, our sector must remain resilient and prepared.
To explore what this future might look like, IPA leaders were invited to share their expertise and insights. The result is the first IPA Vision 2030 infographic: a clear visual picture and metaphor for where publishing may be heading. The infographic is the first part of a wider initiative to generate strategic insight for the sector informed by publishers and publishing professionals around the world to help the industry plan and prepare for a resilient and prosperous future.
Our prediction for 2030
By 2030, publishing will be relentlessly reader-centric, with literacy and reader engagement at the heart of every decision.
Diverse voices and inclusive access will help create a thriving global culture of reading. Artificial intelligence will support more personalised discovery and reader journeys, within a governance framework that protects creators and ensures trusted content through responsible licensing and clear provenance.
The sector will be led by skilled professionals who can adapt to new technologies, create value for readers and foster a culture of belonging—while operating responsibly within environmental limits.
Despite market concentration and geopolitical uncertainty, strong local publishing ecosystems and cross-border collaboration will help sustain a dynamic, sustainable and informed global public.
Now, we want to hear from you.
Take part in the Vision 2030 Global Survey and share your predictions about the future of publishing. Your responses will help test and improve the IPA’s initial vision, highlight regional priorities and inform an IPA global trends report planned for 2027.
Our 2030 visualisation: Charting the course to 2030
The journey to 2030 begins on open water, where three publishing ships set sail towards an uncertain but promising horizon. The ships represent a sector in motion, with the capacity to adapt to changing conditions, and enable global connections through the power of stories, information and knowledge. The forces influencing our sector such as data flows, artificial intelligence, shifting markets, regulations and geopolitical change, are represented on the sea in which publishing charts its course.
Publishing is not simply carried along by these forces. The sector helps shape them through decisions about how technology is developed and used, how content is licensed and discovered, how readers’ trust is protected, and where skills and investment are directed. The waters around the ships are unsettled because these choices are being made now. Further ahead, they open up possibilities that publishing professionals can help create.
The sea: data, AI and changing conditions
The waters are especially unsettled around the ships, where major investments in artificial intelligence are creating disruption and uncertainty. Further out, the sea becomes calmer, offering new possibilities for innovation and growth.
But two major challenges, that are the key pillars of the IPA, must be navigated:
- Copyright: How should published content be licensed, protected and fairly compensated in this new age.
- Censorship: Changing political and regulatory conditions continue to affect the three freedoms essential to publishing; Freedom of expression, Freedom to publish, Freedom to read.
The lighthouse: guidance for the journey
On the rocky coastline, a lighthouse shines three beams to help guide the sector safely:
- Trust: The confidence that readers, authors and institutions place in published content.
- Information integrity: The accuracy, reliability and provenance of information—even as content travels faster and reaches more people.
- Ethics: Responsible decisions about how content is sourced, created, used and attributed.
Together, these principles can help publishers navigate the challenges ahead.
The harbour: optimism for the future
On the horizon lies a safe harbour with calm waters and clear skies. It is intentionally small: a reminder that the future is not fixed. But it represents a positive destination and a shared sense of optimism about publishing in 2030.
Key trends:
Help shape the future of publishing
The Vision 2030 infographic presents the IPA’s initial view. The global survey is an opportunity to test it, challenge it and build on it with perspectives from publishers and publishing professionals around the world.
The more voices we hear, the clearer and more representative our picture of the future will be.
Take the Vision 2030 survey: [SURVEY LINK]
Explore the full infographic:
Download the complete Vision 2030 illustration to share with your team and discuss the future of global publishing.
