Artificial intelligence is increasingly reshaping how books are written and produced, even as physical printed titles maintain a strong position in the Dutch market.
A recent industry report from ABN Amro highlights that authors and publishers are adopting generative AI tools for research, editing, translation, and text drafting, which is helping drive up the total volume of new releases.
International data cited in the research indicates that more than half of newly published titles in the United States now involve AI-generated components. The rapid growth has fueled ongoing debate around copyright, since large language models rely heavily on copyrighted text for training.
Copyright protections and local industry response
To address intellectual property concerns, Dutch publishing organizations established a national book pact in June 2026. The agreement sets parameters to stop unauthorized scraping and lays down clear guidelines for licensing content when training generative models.
These disputes have already touched local businesses directly. Earlier this year, secondhand bookseller De Slegte was targeted by a third-party intermediary attempting to buy physical printed books specifically to train artificial intelligence models.
This growth in publishing technology aligns with a broader trend across the national economy, where Dutch business spending on AI tools has seen a marked increase.
Paper books maintain dominant market share
Despite changes behind the scenes, reader behavior across the Netherlands remains tied to physical print. Paper books represented roughly 86 percent of physical book sales by volume in 2025, excluding academic textbooks.
Digital formats continue to account for a much smaller slice of the overall sector. E-books generated approximately €42 million in revenue in 2025, representing roughly 6 percent of total book sales nationwide.
At the same time, roughly a quarter of Dutch adults regularly listen to audiobooks, with many using platforms such as Spotify and Storytel.
A shift toward hybrid reading habits
While digital formats have not replaced physical print outright, they are gradually changing how readers consume books. Survey findings reveal that the proportion of readers who stick solely to printed books fell from 53 percent in 2020 to 46 percent in 2026.
Instead, an increasing number of residents now balance print editions with e-readers and audio subscriptions depending on convenience.
