Author Xue Mo Advocates for Inner Strength Over AI Dominance at London Book Fair

At the 2025 London Book Fair, acclaimed author Xue Mo addressed the profound impact of artificial intelligence on publishing and human existence, asserting that mastering one's inner world matters more than chasing technological trends. The prolific writer, whose nearly 100 works have been translated into over 30 languages, stated that while we cannot dispel darkness, we can ignite our own inner lamp—the key to navigating change. During a seminar, Xue Mo used his novella Wolf Disaster at Pig's Belly Well and philosophical work The Mind and the Heart to explore humanity's dilemmas in a tech-driven world, arguing that the sovereignty of the human heart remains AI-proof.

Professor Chang Xiangqun, Editor-in-Chief of Global Century Press, highlighted how technology can empower traditional culture through innovative approaches like the bilingual layout of The Mind and the Heart. By standardizing punctuation, name translations, and adding bilingual appendices, the book has made Eastern philosophy more accessible internationally and has been included in research projects at institutions such as Cambridge. Chang emphasized that standardization and creativity are equally important in leveraging technology for cultural dissemination.

Mengdi Turbutt Cai, Publishing Director of Paths International Ltd., acknowledged AI's efficiency but pointed out that works like Wolf Disaster prove cultural depth cannot be replicated by algorithms. She noted that AI lacks the emotional spark of human storytelling, making it publishers' responsibility to protect this uniqueness. Meanwhile, Paths' Marketing Director Mohammed Urma warned of growing monopolization and digital rights disputes, observing that breaking into Western markets is harder today than 30 years ago, with tech giants demanding digital rights to train AI potentially signaling a new wave of digital colonialism.

In his closing remarks, Xue Mo compared the AI era to the dissolution of centralized discourse power, arguing that as technology unlocks infinite possibilities, humanity must cultivate a richer inner world to embrace diversity. Citing The Mind and the Heart's central idea—that the world is a projection of the mind—he urged publishers to use change as a tool for growth and become torchbearers rather than captives of fear. Xue Mo's works, recognized for universal themes and translations by leading sinologists, have become a model for Chinese literature's global reach, with novels like Desert Rites and Curses of the Kingdom of Xixia gaining traction in academic and mainstream markets worldwide. The consensus among Chinese and British publishers suggests that in a tech-driven world, the depth of human experience remains the most valuable and irreplaceable asset.