HarperCollins announced at an earnings call for 2026 that digital was the one silver lining, including digital audiobooks. Digital sales rose 4% for the full year and accounted for 23% of consumer revenue, down from 24% a year ago. HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray elaborated on Thomson’s insights, emphasizing the company’s efforts to harness AI for translating books in foreign markets. By leveraging AI for translations and narration, HarperCollins aims to address this gap. HarperCollins maintains that human-narrated productions remain their core priority and standard, and that AI is reserved for titles lacking commercial viability for full studio recording.