AI IN PRINT 48 email: editor@printmonthly.co.uk March / April 2025 - Issue 353 When discussing innovations in printing technology, there are two letters that seem to have dominated the conversation in recent years: A and I. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning is not only increasingly being utilised in print technology, particularly in solutions that streamline production and increase automation, but AI seems to have been inserted as a solution to almost every segment of modern life. Social media abounds with examples of AI art, writing, and culture, creating as many moral sticking points as it does breathless declarations of praise. But wherever you stand on the benefits or pitfalls of AI from a wider cultural perspective, one thing is clear – it is not going away. AI print solutions in almost every sector are being developed and released as we speak, enhancing automation and improving efficiency, with companies claiming that we are only at the beginning of a surge in its adoption within print. As I write this, print manufacturer and software developer Lexmark has just released new AI-powered enhancements to its Lexmark Cloud Services (LCS) technology, introducing a new Cloud Solution Centre with AI-driven document translation and redaction capabilities. In the latter half of 2024, the PRINTING United Alliance released a 32-page research paper on the topic titled ‘Artificial Intelligence in the Printing Industry: The Journey Begins’. In it, chief executive officer of PRINTING United, Ford Bowers, stresses that “artificial intelligence is a once in a generation topic that promises to change almost every way in which we work, discover, interact, and understand the world around us.” Bower continues with a warning to the industry: “Whether that change will be for better or worse is a matter of perspective. To ignore the possibilities and the pitfalls, to wait and see what develops, to dismiss it as hyperbole, would be folly.” Are we truly at the beginning of a massive industrial and cultural shift? Are these technologies being widely adopted by print already? Are there further innovations we can expect in the near future, and is AI truly here to stay? To answer these questions, I spoke to a range of experts from across the print world, gaining their perspectives and insights on this hot-button topic. The Tools to Widen Focus Print technology provider Enfocus has made the development of AI solutions a WHAT IS THE ROLE OF AI IN PRINT? Jonathan Pert takes a deep dive into the topic of AI, looking at all the automation possibilities it can provide and asks what the future holds for its use in the print industry going forward
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