Defend & Publish podcast host Christine Tulley interviewed Dr. Bryan Alexander, who will be giving the Michael Sullivan Keynote at the 2026 TAA Institute for Textbook & Academic Authors on June 12, about how AI is reshaping textbook and academic publishing. Alexander is a futurist, Georgetown senior scholar, offered a broad, forward-looking view, beginning with the larger forces already destabilizing higher education: shifting demographics, changing economics, enrollment pressures, and evolving cultural attitudes toward the academy. He then surveyed the technological landscape — the maturation of ebooks, the ongoing challenge of mobile-friendly scholarship, extended reality, and open access — before zeroing in on AI’s multifaceted impact.

Five 2026 TAA Institute for Textbook & Academic Authors presenters have been interviewed on the Defend & Publish podcast. All four will be sharing their expertise in sessions or Learning Labs at this mini-conference, which takes place June 12 and 13, and is aimed at providing both new and veteran textbook and academic authors a deep dive into topics such as AI and authoring, navigating DEI issues, contracts, publishing in the modern age, and more. Get $50 off registration with code DP26.