Readers, do you care whether AI was used to write a book?
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R. S. Breed Founder
Fortune reported on the 14th on a study by researchers at Stony Brook and the University of Michigan. Of 14,419 self-published genre-fiction books sold on Amazon between 2023 and 2026, about 20% had "substantial" AI text, meaning more than a quarter of the prose was flagged as AI-generated. It hasn't been peer-reviewed yet.
https://fortune.com/2026/09/14/ai-slop-books-amazon-marketplace-publishing-human-authors/
I'm less interested in the number than in how readers feel about it. So, honestly:
- Does it change what you buy, or would you only care if the book was bad?
- Where's your line? AI cover art, AI editing, AI drafting, AI narration on the audiobook?
- Would a clear label on the listing help, or would you just skip anything labelled?
- Do you think you can tell? Have you ever finished a book and wondered?
If you've got a line, say where it is and why.