Kathleen Schmidt says it is "short-sighted" to use AI for publicity copy and pitches
Kathleen SchmidtBook publicist and author of the Publishing Confidential newsletter, in a newsletter post
Book publicist Kathleen Schmidt said she agrees it is short-sighted to use AI to write publicity copy and pitches, because they would all start sounding the same, while saying AI-powered media databases are useful in publicity work.
“I agree it is short-sighted to use them for publicity copy and pitches, because if that becomes the norm, all pitches and publicity copy will start sounding the same.”
Analysis
Where this statement fits
Should book publishers use AI tools in their internal workflows?
WIRED's October 9, 2026 report documents disagreement over publishers' internal AI use. Simon & Schuster's Wibke Grutjen defends optional, approved tools. Literary agent Emma Dries prefers a ban, or clearer disclosure. Publicist Kathleen Schmidt accepts administrative assistance but rejects AI-written publicity pitches.
Source and context
Analysis
About this source
Schmidt distinguishes AI-written publicity from administrative assistance and calls for clearer rules.
Before the quotation
Schmidt was writing about Adam Morgan's WIRED article, in which publishing employees described publishers using AI for publicity copy and pitches, and a Big Five publicist called using AI to generate publicity copy short-sighted.
After the quotation
She went on to say that media databases powered by AI are "a good thing" for building media lists.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether book publishers should use AI tools in their internal workflows. Schmidt agrees "it is short-sighted to use them for publicity copy and pitches" but says an AI-powered media database is "a good thing". Because she opposes one use and supports another, we labeled it Mixed or conditional. The closest competing label is Condemned; it loses because she endorses AI for media research.
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More from this case
Read the full caseLiterary agent Emma Dries says a ban on AI tools "would frankly be my preference"
“Short of these tools being banned, which would frankly be my preference ... everybody should be communicating more.”Read statement
Simon & Schuster, through Wibke Grutjen, says its AI tools aim to "free up more time for our employees"
Simon & Schuster
“the goal is always to free up more time for our employees to spend on deeper focus and creative work on behalf of and alongside our authors.”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
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- Kathleen Schmidt says it is "short-sighted" to use AI for publicity copy and pitches
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/5464-book-publicist-kathleen-schmidt-said-she-agrees-it
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Kathleen Schmidt says it is "short-sighted" to use AI for publicity copy and pitches". First published: 2026-10-11. Last updated: 2026-10-11. https://disputeindex.com/events/5464-book-publicist-kathleen-schmidt-said-she-agrees-it