The Amazon book section is increasingly hosting texts about AI. This would not be a problem, if many of them were not written by the AI itself, which in addition to generating texts also generates biographies and images of imaginary authors that can deceive a distracted observer. If artificial intelligence writes tomes about itself, it would not be a big problem, but novels, guides, biographies written entirely by technology, without real editors and publishers behind it can become. According to The New York Times, these texts range from travel to economics, medicine, mathematics, religion and cooking.

Artificial intelligence becomes the author

A striking example is "Fire and Fury: the story of the 2023 Maui fire and its implications for climate change" written by the fictional "Dr. Miles Stones" and appeared on the e-platformcommerce and then disappeared a few weeks later for the complaint of some experts.

The greatest danger behind the texts written by AI is unreliable information. There are many examples of guides to distinguish edible mushrooms from poisonous ones distributed in the network. The problem is that these texts are revised and contain incorrect and often dangerous information.

The protest of the real writers

There are also cases of books written by artificial intelligence attributed to existing writers, but not approved. For fear that this phenomenon will spreaded like wildfire George R.R. Martin, Authors Guild and 17 other known authors have filed lawsuits against OpenAI company owner of ChatGPT, for copyright infringement, for the use of their books for training of his chatbot.  

Numbers and statistics

However, its impact is both positive and negative, and the figures and statistics reflect this duality.

The positive side of AI in publishing

• Automation of Repetitive Tasks: AI has made it possible to automate tedious and repetitive tasks in publishing, such as grammar correction and text formatting. This has led to increased efficiency and reduced costs.
• Content Customization: AI has been used to analyze reader behavior and deliver highly personalized content. AI-based recommendations have helped to improve the reader experience and increase engagement.
• Workflow Management: AI-based systems can help manage workflow, from manuscript selection to editing and publishing, making the process more efficient.

Figures

• According to a McKinsey report, AI can increase publishing productivity by up to 20%.
• The use of AI in reading suggestions has led to a 13% increase in engagement, according to a study by Deloitte.

The downside

• Risks to Editorial Quality: Automation can involve risks to the quality of content. Some publishers use AI for automatic article generation, often at the expense of depth and originality.
• Displacement of Employment: Automation linked to AI has led to a reduction in jobs related to editing and content production, with the risk of replacing human labor with machines.
• Spreading Fake News: AI can be used to generate false or distorted news, creating significant challenges for the truthfulness of information.

Negative Figures

• According to a PwC report, by 2030, automation, including AI, could eliminate up to 30% of jobs in publishing.
• A Reuters study revealed that 52% of respondents fear that AI may contribute to the spread of fake news.

Viola Meacci

Viola Meacci, student of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Pisa, has always been interested in the world of journalism. In her job, she explored the world of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, NFT and metaverse which she now very is passionate about it .