Live data from Hacker News

Scammy AI-Generated Books Are Flooding Amazon

wired.com

31–40 of 114 posts

Re: Scammy AI-Generated Books Are Flooding Amazon

#31

How do we know these books are AI generated? Because the startup "Reality Defender" said so? This feels like they're deliberately singling out trash books and calling them AI-generated to fit their bias. It doesn't seem fair, since the AI content I've generated myself has been better than any book I've ever read. In fact, it's inspired me to generate my first book, which I'll be publishing soon.

Since you are working in the space maybe you probably know more about this than most of us.

Are there any AI generated books out there that have found an audience and built a fan base?

I don't doubt that it's going to happen but I'm skeptical if we are all that close.

There are some very successful authors out there that many would say are awful, so that's why I asked for books with a fan base rather than good books.

Re: Scammy AI-Generated Books Are Flooding Amazon

#34

As platforms become flooded with AI-generated garbage, I wonder how people will be able to find meaningful content. Are there going to be a new set of AI tools for content curation? It just seems like this will only spark a new AI-driven arms race.

The answer is AI-based reviewers and moderators.

Re: Scammy AI-Generated Books Are Flooding Amazon

#35
There are so many reasons why this is happening and I personally think it's only tangentially related to AI. The internet has now become the home of "hustle culture" and is no longer serving the purpose of why it was first created.

Covid only accelerated this trend as people began to look for other ways to generate income online. Just look at the Gamestop and AMC amateur stock trading craze or the explosion of flipping sneakers or Pokemon cards for income.

A huge percentage of the internet consists solely of people looking to make a quick buck and/or establish some channel of passive income. The internet itself has been redefined as this weird vehicle for capitalism because we're careening towards a weird transitionary period in history as the rise of AI takes hold.

The only thing that can solve this is UBI or some kind of shared equity system where huge megacorps primarily operated by AI generate trillions and trillions of dollars in wealth that needs to be distributed to the populace somehow.

Godspeed as we enter this new age.

Re: Scammy AI-Generated Books Are Flooding Amazon

#36

How do we know these books are AI generated? Because the startup "Reality Defender" said so? This feels like they're deliberately singling out trash books and calling them AI-generated to fit their bias. It doesn't seem fair, since the AI content I've generated myself has been better than any book I've ever read. In fact, it's inspired me to generate my first book, which I'll be publishing soon.

Out of curiosity, why will people buy "your" book when they can generate their own?

Re: Scammy AI-Generated Books Are Flooding Amazon

#37

I'm pretty sure the ads displayed on my Kindle are all for AI generated children's books lately. It's actually kind of fun looking at them to find the AI generated artifacts (e.g little girl building snowman has three fingers, etc.) Not sure who's actually buying these things...

Inaccurate finger counts are a staple of manmade children's material as well!

Re: Scammy AI-Generated Books Are Flooding Amazon

#38

I'm pretty sure the ads displayed on my Kindle are all for AI generated children's books lately. It's actually kind of fun looking at them to find the AI generated artifacts (e.g little girl building snowman has three fingers, etc.) Not sure who's actually buying these things...

Inaccurate finger counts are a staple of manmade children's material as well!

Maybe the AI learned that children prefer inaccurate fingers.

Re: Scammy AI-Generated Books Are Flooding Amazon

#39

As platforms become flooded with AI-generated garbage, I wonder how people will be able to find meaningful content. Are there going to be a new set of AI tools for content curation? It just seems like this will only spark a new AI-driven arms race.

What do you consume in terms of content? Thinking back on my weekly viewing/reading habits from the past year, I've read William Gibson, watched a whole lot of BBC Earth nature docs, FX primetime television, and live sports from the NFL.

Those names, brands that have been established for decades, are how I curate. I feel reasonably certain BBC and FX will continue serving valuable content for the foreseeable future. Random YouTube channel I've never heard of or all-caps company name on Amazon not so much.

Re: Scammy AI-Generated Books Are Flooding Amazon

#40

As platforms become flooded with AI-generated garbage, I wonder how people will be able to find meaningful content. Are there going to be a new set of AI tools for content curation? It just seems like this will only spark a new AI-driven arms race.

What do you consume in terms of content? Thinking back on my weekly viewing/reading habits from the past year, I've read William Gibson, watched a whole lot of BBC Earth nature docs, FX primetime television, and live sports from the NFL. Those names, brands that have been established for decades, are how I curate. I feel reasonably certain BBC and FX will continue serving valuable content for the foreseeable future.…

> I feel reasonably certain BBC will continue serving valuable content for the foreseeable future.

I hope so but there are forces in the UK (and I suppose outside it) who see the BBC as "unfair" competition and will continually attempt to defund/destroy it.

Post reply on HN