📚 AI scandal rocks publishing
Hachette Book Group has announced it will not publish the novel Shy Girl over suspicions it was generated using artificial intelligence.
The book was slated for U.S. release this spring, but is now being pulled from sale even in the UK, where copies had already hit shelves.
The investigation was triggered by Goodreads and YouTube reviews: readers spotted telltale AI “hallucinations” and unnatural prose. Author Mia Ballard vehemently denies using neural networks, blaming her hired editor instead. She is preparing a lawsuit, claiming the scandal has destroyed her reputation and left her mental health in crisis.
Experts note that major publishers rarely deeply vet texts from authors who have previously self-published. This incident may force the industry to rethink manuscript moderation in the ChatGPT era.
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