Scholarly Publishing in the Era of Open Access and Generative Artificial Intelligence

Tensions around open-access initiatives and the democratization of scholarly content are intensifying, particularly with the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Barriers to open-access publishing are becoming more pronounced across regions, especially in the global South, but there are actionable strategies to reduce these challenges and enhance accessibility. Generative AI plays a dual role in scholarly publishing, boosting content creation and quality assurance while also raising concerns about workforce reductions. Collaboration among publishers, researchers, libraries, technologists, and policymakers is essential to addressing critical issues like research integrity, funding shortages, intellectual property conflicts, and growing inequities in publishing. Despite these challenges, the digital landscape offers new opportunities for building a more equitable and sustainable knowledge ecosystem, pushing for re-evaluating current practices to shape the future of publishing and innovation.