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How One Founder Is Using The Latest AI Developments To Transform The Publishing World

By Guy Remond with Georgia Kirke

Since ChatGPT’s emergence in November 2022, AI has soared in popularity. For investors who want to key into the current landscape, this can provide a whole new world of opportunity.

In our most recent episode of Fast Growth Funding, I spoke to Georgia Kirke, Founder of ClioBooks.ai. Clio is using AI to transform the publishing industry by helping authors and entrepreneurs “speak their book into existence.” 

In this article, we’ll find out more about how Clio is shaking up the publishing world. We’ll also explore how investors and businesses can take advantage of the current landscape.

What is Clio?

Georgia: “Clio is a way for authors to speak their book into existence. It began eight years ago, actually, when I started my first company, Write Business Results (WBR). WBR helps authors speak their content through a consultative, manual process. The idea was to help busy entrepreneurs author books that showcase their expertise, unique perspectives, and experience. 

Clio was the original idea and intention. But eight years ago, developing a tech product that allowed people to speak their books was almost unthinkable. It would have cost multiple millions or more to develop. So, we began the Write Business Results journey. And now, AI is very much a part of the business conversation.”

Recently, there has been a lot of AI chatter (you’ve probably seen it too). 

AI has soared in popularity because there’s now a convergence of different technologies. These technologies have enabled AI to become commercially useful, cheaper, and accessible to most companies. That wasn’t always the case. 

Today, hundreds, if not thousands, of companies are developing AI products. They may do this in isolation, using their own data & models, or by using software like ChatGPT to develop their Proof of Concept (PoC).

I believe Clio’s timing is perfect for two reasons. One, the current AI landscape and the emergence of products like OpenAI’s ChatGPT means Clio can easily build upon these technologies to create something revolutionary. It’s already doing so!

Secondly, the recent tech explosion has led to people accepting AI and using it to make their lives easier and more efficient. This means that people are now willing to use AI as an alternative to manual labour, and that’s what makes Clio’s timing so perfect.

Machine capability + human ingenuity = an efficient AI product

One thing I often say (and which has become even more relevant in today’s landscape) is that AI won’t take people’s jobs. Rather, it’s the people and companies who use AI effectively that will take those jobs. 

Interestingly, what stands out about Clio to me is that it’s exactly where AI is at the moment: a perfect mashup of machine capability and efficiency with human creativity and ingenuity. 

The technology does the heavy lifting, and then human editors polish the drafts to a publishable quality. 

Georgia: “With Clio, you can create your first draft within days or in a few weeks if you block out the time to do so. We’re already working with people who are using it in that way. Once you have the draft, a human editor steps in and takes it to a publishable level.

The technology has been created in a methodical and measured way to create high-quality book drafts. But it’s also being sanity-checked by people who know how to create books inside out and know what the publishing industry expects.

Clio is not an opportunity to jump on the AI bandwagon. Rather, it’s been built methodically to be a time-effective and purpose-effective means for people to create high-quality, publishable content.”

If you are looking to invest in profitable AI opportunities, you should look out specifically for companies that have found that sweet spot between machine capability and human ingenuity to create real value for their users. That’s what separates the real winners from companies merely using AI for AI’s sake!

The opportunity for the industry

Georgia: “In essence, you’re using AI to facilitate your own creativity and thinking, and to showcase your expertise to the world.

It (Clio) also gives the publishing industry access to a safe, ethical, and legitimate use of AI, which it doesn’t have at the moment. Currently, AI presents a difficulty for the publishing industry. The boundaries between generative AI and AI-assisted content are still a little bit blurred. However, Clio gives the publishing industry access to ethical, high-quality drafts. The author completely owns the Intellectual Property (IP), which is a huge relief.”

Clio is a poster child for how AI can be used to solve a problem and make things quicker, more efficient and more convenient for users. 

As an investor, you always want to look out for entrepreneurs who have a proven, successful business model and process. You want entrepreneurs who have found a way of using technology to digitise their business models and make things more efficient and cost-effective.

These founders aren’t creating a new marketplace – it’s already there. They’re just making things better, which should be the ultimate goal in every instance where technology is being used.

To try Clio for free, sign up here. 

If you’d also like to learn more about our new EIS-qualified fund for UK early-stage and growth AI investments, register your interest here.

Tags: AI investments