Growing Number of AI Scam Books

Today I just want to pass on an emerging issue that we all need to be aware-- the influx of AI created scam books being sold on Amazon.

Please see the full story here from NPR, "Authors push back on the growing number of AI 'scam' books on Amazon." but here is one small section that explains the overall problem:

Marie Arana is a writer who spent years researching and writing her book LatinoLand: A Portrait of America's Largest and Least Understood Minority. The book came out in February. The day after its release, she went on Amazon to see how it was doing. "Right below the cover of my book was another cover," Arana says. "The cover said 'America's Largest and Least Understood Minority. A Summary of Latinoland.'"

Arana sent NPR a photo of the search result on Amazon. The book says it was written by Clara Bailey. A review of Bailey's work showed that Bailey had published a number of these so-called summaries and put them up for sale on Amazon. NPR asked an Amazon spokesperson about Bailey but did not receive a related response. And the company did not offer anyone up for an interview when asked, generally, about AI-generated books. Since NPR's inquiry, Bailey's books have been removed from Amazon. Bailey's publishing history still appears on Goodreads.

Again, there is more information and depth in the full piece.  

Okay, Becky, many of you may be thinking, that's fine but we buy almost all of our books from Ingram, Baker and Taylor, or from the publishers directly. Yes, I know that, but we need to be aware for a few reasons:

1. For the times we do go directly to Amazon to buy things that we can only get there (especially print on demand of self-published, popular titles), we need to be extra careful that what we are buying is the actual book, by the real author of that book. If we cannot do that, what are we being paid for.
2. We know that library patrons are the most likely people to buy books for themselves. Many of them are voracious readers and use Amazon for their ebooks (especially) and sometimes, print. They will not be as aware of this issue. It is our responsibility as information professionals and advisory librarians to make sure they know this is going on and help them navigate their reading options. It is the same as teaching kids to identify misinformation. I would post this article on your website and social media, make sure it shows up in places where your readers are in your building as well. Maybe a sign at the circulation desk or near the "New" books shelves. Just a note like "Buyer Beware: There Are a Growing Number of AI Scam Books. Ask at the desk for more info." Or add a QR code so they can self-service their way to the article. 
3. And this one is the most important. I don't think this issue is going to stay confined to scammers acting alone on Amazon. We need to stay vigilant and aware because at some point, not too far in the future, I could see AI books creeping onto our trusted platforms and sneaking into our collections. Staying up to date for ourselves and making sure we help our users know about it, is paramount.