Published academic book author and futurist Bryan Alexander will present the 2026 Michael Sullivan Lecture Keynote, “How the AI Revolution is Impacting the Future of Textbook & Academic Publishing,” at the Textbook & Academic Authors Association’s 2026 TAA Institute for Textbook and Academic Authors on Friday, June 12. This interactive and engaging talk will explore emerging and potential AI uses in the textbook world, including:

• Publishers using it to create or assist in making manuscript reviews, indexes, art, and marketing
• Developing bots for reader interactions with materials
• Authors rapidly creating textbooks with AI
• Questions around content licensing, AI and copyright
• Sustained academic and popular opposition to general AI

He will conclude with several scenarios for possible textbook futures. Learn more or register

The keynote will be followed by a full hour conversation and Q&A for an extended discussion of these topics.

Bryan Alexander is an award–winning, internationally known futurist, researcher, writer, speaker, consultant, and teacher, working in the field of higher education’s future. He is a senior scholar at Georgetown University and teaches graduate seminars in their Learning, Design, and Technology program. From 2002-2014 he worked with the National Institute for Technology in Liberal Education (NITLE), a non-profit working to help small colleges and universities best integrate digital technologies. In 2013 Bryan launched Bryan Alexander Consulting, LLC, where he consults throughout higher education in the United States and abroad. He speaks widely and has published in The Atlantic Monthly, Inside Higher Ed, and elsewhere. His book, Academia Next: The Futures of Higher Education (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020), won an Association of Professional Futurists award. His latest book, Universities on Fire: Higher Education in the Age of Climate Crisis, appeared in 2023 and won the 2025 Frederic W. Ness Book Award. He has also authored Peak Higher Ed: How to Survive the Emerging Academic Crisis, Gearing Up For Learning Beyond K-12, and The New Digital Storytelling (2e).

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Join us for the Textbook & Academic Authors Association’s first-ever TAA Institute for Textbook & Academic Authors, designed to support authors across different experience levels. Do a deep dive on topics especially important to you!
The event will feature four different Learning Labs focused on the specific needs and interests of:

Veteran textbook authors | New and aspiring textbook authors | Veteran academic authors | New and aspiring academic authors

The Event Will Also Feature:

• A special session on contracts for textbook authors by Attorney Brenda Ulrich
• Mentoring sessions with veteran authors and industry experts
• Co-Working Sessions for focused writing time
• A Learning Library packed with authoring resources
• A bookstore where you can feature your books and build your personal library

Learn more or register