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Welcome back to another headline roundup for library employees. Today, we’re going with a bit of a theme and talking a lot about AI: authors using AI as part of the writing process, selling books written by AI, and more. Let’s jump in (but maybe hold your nose first).
Barnes & Noble CEO Explores Idea of Selling AI-Written Books
Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt made headlines when he said that he would support selling AI-written books in stores: “So as long as an AI-written book says it’s an AI-written book and doesn’t pretend to be something else and isn’t ripping off somebody else, as long as that’s clearly stated and the customer wants to buy it, then we will stock them.” He later issued a clarifying statement, saying that Barnes and Noble does not “endorse or intentionally sell AI-generated books. We take active measures to exclude all AI-generated books from our online offerings and never knowingly order any for in-store stock.” I don’t know how much this actually clarifies, but speaking as a book lover, I really, really really do not want there to be an AI section at Barnes & Noble.
I’ll Take Irony For 2000, Ken.
Steven Rosenbaum’s book, The Future of Truth, was featured in The New York Times recently—not because it received a stunning review, but because the NYT learned that the book contained quotes fabricated by AI. The author said he was working with his editors to issue corrections and he takes full responsibility for the mistakes, but this situation is so predictable it’s almost boring.
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Speaking Of Authors Using AI…
Anthony Horowitz disclosed in a recent interview that he uses ChatGPT as a regular part of his writing process. He said he regularly fact checks the information he receives and that he recognizes the limitations of AI, but come on! I’m so tired of hearing well-known authors talk about how much they enjoy circumventing the natural process of writing. To me, having to fact-check AI all the time feels like you’re managing an underperforming employee who you don’t trust to produce quality work. If you have to review everything that person produces to make sure they didn’t make a mistake, is it really making your life more efficient?
Tennessee School District Bans ROOTS
Okay, we’re closing out with a non-AI story. The Knox County School District (TN) banned Alex Haley’s Roots from all schools under the guise of the state’s Age-Appropriate Materials Act. Specifically, school officials were concerned about a single passage that allegedly violated state law, although they didn’t disclose what the issues were. They also said, “Broader themes or historical significance of a work as a whole is not a consideration under the law,” reinforcing why these types of censorship laws are so maddening and narrow-minded. Alex Haley’s surviving family members called the removal “incredibly short-sighted” and “a slap in the face.”