The Global AI Race in Literature: How the US and China Are Transforming Reading

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping our relationship with books and literature, creating a technological competition between the United States and China that goes far beyond simple tool development. This race for supremacy in literary AI not only reflects economic ambitions but also defines how future generations will consume, interact with, and produce literary content. As AI applications in literature continue to evolve, both countries are investing billions to secure leadership in this transformative technology.

The “DeepSeek Effect”: China Challenges American Leadership

In January 2025, the tech world witnessed what many call the “DeepSeek Effect,” when the Chinese startup DeepSeek launched its artificial intelligence model that quickly surpassed American competitors like ChatGPT in downloads and efficiency. The Chinese model stands out for its ability to perform data searches much more effectively and quickly, as well as integrate large volumes of information efficiently.

Most notably, however, DeepSeek offers a significantly cheaper alternative to American models, which helps explain its rapid adoption. As a result of this launch, shares of major American technology companies, including Nvidia, plummeted.

The company did not emerge from the traditional cradle of innovation in Silicon Valley. Born from the High-Flyer hedge fund under the leadership of investor Liang Wenfeng, DeepSeek began with a massive investment in Nvidia graphic processors in 2021. The founder, initially viewed with skepticism, persevered in his vision and today leads a revolution in the sector.

“Capturing users was not our main goal. We reduced prices because by exploring next-generation model structures, costs decreased; and because we believe that AI services and APIs should be accessible and inexpensive for everyone.”

Liang Wenfeng, founder of DeepSeek, to state media CCTV

The American Response and Literary AI Contracts

Meanwhile, in the United States, traditional publishing companies are seeking new ways to monetize their literary assets through AI. HarperCollins, one of the world’s largest publishers, recently proposed a contract to its authors that would allow their works to be used to train artificial intelligence models.

According to a reported story, a confidential technology company is offering around $2,500 (approximately R$14,500) for each book selected to train its language model over a three-year period. This initiative divides opinions among experts, raising questions about copyright and the future of literary creation.

HarperCollins’ proposal symbolizes a growing trend: the transformation of literary works into training data for AI, a market that promises to be highly lucrative but also raises significant ethical concerns about intellectual property rights and fair compensation for authors.

AI Reading Tools: The Current State of the Art

Currently, various AI tools are available to facilitate reading and text comprehension. These tools represent the cutting edge of what artificial intelligence can offer to enhance the literary experience:

1. ChatGPT by OpenAI: Widely used to summarize texts, answer questions about literary content, and even generate content based on specific prompts. The tool has become essential for students and researchers analyzing complex texts.
2. Microsoft Copilot: Integrated with the Microsoft suite, it offers real-time assistance for text analysis and production, making it easier to understand and create documents.
3. TTS (Text-to-Speech) Tools: Transform written text into audio, particularly benefiting language students and people with reading difficulties. These tools have dramatically improved accessibility to written content.
4. Canva Docs: Uses AI to create visually appealing documents, facilitating the creation of reports and presentations with literary content.
5. Writing tools like Jasper and Grammarly: Enhance reading and writing workflows, offering grammar correction, plagiarism detection, and content generation based on literary analysis.

These tools demonstrate how AI is not just changing how we read, but also how we interact with and understand literary content. The technology can now process and analyze text at a level that approaches human comprehension, making literature more accessible and adaptable to individual needs.

The Virtual Library in Brazil: AI in Book Recommendations

Brazil is also entering this race. Pearson, a global learning company, recently announced the incorporation of AI resources into its Virtual Library (VL), a platform that serves more than 4 million students in more than 950 educational institutions in the country.

The new functionality uses algorithms that analyze reading history and user preferences to recommend books that complement their studies. With a collection of more than 16,000 e-books in more than 40 areas of knowledge, VL represents a significant step toward personalizing learning through AI.

This platform exemplifies how AI is democratizing access to knowledge in developing countries. By analyzing students’ reading patterns, the system can suggest relevant materials that might otherwise be overlooked, effectively expanding the educational resource base beyond traditional curriculum recommendations.

“We are concerned with providing a fully customized and exclusive environment, using cutting-edge national technology. This innovation represents another opportunity for modernization and reframing of libraries, placing them at the forefront of digitization strategies for these institutions.”

Heloisa Avilez, Higher Education director for Latin America at Pearson

The Future of AI in Literature: Perspectives and Challenges

The race for AI leadership between the US and China is just beginning, and the literary field is just one of many arenas where this dispute unfolds. US President Donald Trump announced a $500 billion plan for AI infrastructure, in partnership with Oracle, OpenAI, and Softbank, in a clear response to Chinese advances.

On the other hand, China, with the launch of DeepSeek-V3, sees a real opportunity to establish itself as a technological power and significantly reduce its dependence on American companies in the field of artificial intelligence.

The future of AI in reading promises advances such as:

• Virtual shopping assistants for real-time product searches, making literature more accessible through intelligent recommendation systems
• Augmented reality (AR) experiences to create immersive reading environments that bring stories to life
• Voice shopping facilitated by assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, making book discovery and purchase easier than ever
• Personalized learning experiences that adapt to each reader’s pace and style, optimizing comprehension and retention

Ethical Considerations and Impact on the Job Market

In his book “AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order,” Kai-Fu Lee warns that AI will drastically change the way we live, produce, and relate to each other in the coming decades. The author points out that about 40% of current jobs may disappear and practically half of current tasks could be automated.

The literary industry is particularly vulnerable to these changes. Authors, editors, literary agents, and publishers all face potential disruption as AI systems become increasingly capable of generating and analyzing written content. However, new opportunities are also emerging, such as AI-assisted writing, enhanced publishing workflows, and innovative ways to monetize literary content.

Cultural differences between the US and China also influence how each country approaches ethical issues related to AI. While the United States tends to prioritize individual privacy issues and intellectual property rights, China often emphasizes collective benefits and national development goals in its AI strategies.

Conclusion: A New Era for Literature

The integration of AI into the literary world is not just a technological question, but a profound cultural transformation that is redefining our relationship with books and knowledge. As the US and China compete for leadership in this field, we are witnessing the birth of new ways to create, consume, and understand texts.

For authors, publishers, and readers, the challenge will be to find a balance between leveraging the benefits of AI—such as better accessibility, personalization, and efficiency—while preserving the human elements that make literature meaningful: creativity, originality, and authentic expression.

The winner of this technological race will not necessarily be the one with the most advanced algorithms, but the one that best integrates artificial intelligence with human intelligence, creating a literary ecosystem that amplifies, rather than replaces, our ability to tell and understand stories.

As we move forward, the global AI race in literature will continue to accelerate, bringing both challenges and opportunities. The most successful players will be those who embrace technology while maintaining a deep respect for the cultural and artistic significance of literature in human society.

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