In 2024, the prosperity of open science and the progressive refinement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology have initiated a profound transformation in scientific research. Simultaneously, they have brought Scientific, Technological and Medical (STM) publishing and academic dissemination to a critical point of transition. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of international trends in STM journal publishing at this crucial juncture. First, Open Access (OA) publishing has experienced new changes due to intense competition between commercialization and community-based forces. The number of Transformative Agreements (TAs) has decreased for the first time this year. High Article Processing Charges (APCs) have raised questions about whether OA development has diverged from its original purpose, prompting fundamental reflections of OA as the sole permitted publishing model. Preprints, despite their advantages and limitations, are emerging as a pathway toward researcher-led, academically autonomous OA, though issues such as quality control remain unresolved. Second, the Open Data movement continues to advance steadily progressing and gradually towards more responsible data sharing practices. However, the absence of standardized data sharing protocols may result in inconsistent formats, incomplete or missing metadata descriptions, broken access links, and uneven data quality, impeding effective discovery, access, interoperability, and reuse of data. Furthermore, although open data sharing represents an inevitable trend, certain data cannot be publicly accessible under all circumstances. Unrestricted sharing of specific data may potentially threaten national security, commercial confidentiality, personal privacy, and social stability. Consequently, governments, funding agencies, and publishers are developing or updating policies and implementing measures to promote standardized and secure data sharing, reflecting heightened demands for data quality, security, and normative usage in academia. Third, STM publishers are expediting their transformation through content and technology integration, pursuing new opportunities presented by advanced technologies such as AI. Beyond consolidating content resources through acquisitions, partnerships with academic societies, and launch of new journals, publishers like Taylor & Francis Group and John Wiley have achieved revenue growth through AI-enabled content. More publishers are recognizing the efficiency benefits of AI applications and actively developing related tools and services for the scientific research lifecycle or creating AI-based specialized solutions. As AI technology applications deepen, the possession and acquisition of high-quality, specialized content and data will reveal multiple roles and values. Finally, STM journal publishing in the digital era confronts an intensified trust crisis, with emerging AI technologies potentially exacerbating this challenge through biases and errors. To address integrity threats including paper mills, AI application issues, and peer review reform challenges, various stakeholders have proposed technical and non-technical solutions to maintain research quality. In conclusion, the revolution catalyzed by open science and AI in scientific research and STM publishing remains in its early stages. However, their potential has already generated significant interest among researchers, publishers, and other stakeholders. Realizing the vision of digitization will require collaborative efforts to ensure responsible AI utilization, foster a new open and healthy publishing ecosystem, and advance goals in open science, research integrity, and transparency.