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NISO Plus Global/Online Takes on AI at a Critical Moment

NISO Plus Global/Online Takes on AI at a Critical Moment

August 2026

Love it or hate it, AI is everywhere, and even those trying to avoid it are probably using AI-powered tools in some capacity. And whether you’re talking about using generative AI to create content or agentic AI to mine text or data, scholarly communications is facing critical questions around uses of these new technologies, questions relating to policy and governance as well as the impact on publisher workflows and systems, traditional methods of assessment, copyright law, and more. 

NISO Plus Global/Online (September 16–17) offers a great opportunity to address these questions in interactive sessions featuring community leaders and attended by librarians, publishers, tech and service providers, and others working in information. Our theme, “Connecting Human Futures and Intelligent Systems through Standards,” reflects the need for guidelines and standards that leverage the power of AI while retaining values like transparency and integrity front and center. 

Check out these highlights from the conference program:

  • AI-generated search results may not identify sources or credit authors, which raises concerns about measuring the impact of scholarly content as well as verifying and crediting its source. A session on “Provenance and Attribution UX in GenAI Systems” explores the best way to address these challenges.
  • In “AI, Transparency, and Disclosure,” speakers discuss what goes into an ethical, transparent AI policy, considering various AI use cases, when AI use should be disclosed, and how such policies can be enforced. 
  • Building on a popular preconference hosted during our Baltimore NISO Plus meeting, “Managing AI Access to Content, or Keeping the Robots in Line: The Sequel,” asks how we can best allow access to content from authorized agents while keeping unwanted bot traffic out. It also considers growing concerns about tracking usage of publisher content in a “zero-click” environment. 
  • “Copyright at the Frontier” covers how AI technologies have raised new questions about fair use and pose challenges for content providers, librarians, and users trying to navigate this evolving landscape.
  • A closing session from Jeff Jarvis, “Knowledge Has a New Address,” considers how AI could transform how we think about authorship, copyright, and the role of publishers.

We won’t have all the answers to the questions posed in the conference program. That’s why we’re bringing people from across the community together to share their challenges, what they’re currently doing to address them, and what they hope to do in the future. Some of the ideas generated could become future NISO projects! Join us to learn and to make your voice be heard in these important discussions. Registration is affordable, with tickets starting at just $49 for students, so sign up now.