The world’s first book with a stamp of authenticity to show it was written by a human and not by Chat GPT has gone on sale.
The move is designed to curb the number of AI-generated novels allegedly flooding Amazon.
Leading write RR Haywood’s ‘The Undead’ carries a label on its cover sporting the words ‘NO-AI’ – an acronym for ‘Naturally Original – Authentically Invented’.
The book’s sales listing also includes a warranty that offers readers extra protection in the event the book turns out to be bot-made.
It says: “This book was authored by Richard Haywood and not generated by any machine or artificial intelligence.
”This statement serves as a legally binding guarantee of authenticity and can be used to establish the true creator of this work should any doubt arise.”
Haywood, who is one of Britain’s bestselling self-published authors, created the label in the hope of stemming what he describes as a deluge of “AI tat” now being sold on Amazon.
Last year, Amazon said it was “actively monitoring the rapid evolution of generative AI and the impact it is having on reading, writing, and publishing”.
It created a new rule limiting the number of books that authors can self-publish through its Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to three-a-day.
KDP allows authors to self-publish their books and list them for sale on Amazon’s site.
But Haywood, who has sold more than four million books worldwide – all of which were “written by me and by me only” – said the platform is more popular than ever with would-be novelists looking to cash in on generative artificial intelligence.
Due to the nature of ChatGPT and many authors’ failure to disclose they have used it, it is
nearly impossible to get a full accounting of how many bot-made books may be for sale.
But Haywood, a former policeman, believes the number could be as high as 100,000 worldwide and is now urging the publishing industry to follow his lead.
He has added the NO-AI label to each of his books in The Undead series, and has made it available as a free download on his website for other authors and publishers to use.
He said: “Make no mistake that the legitimate publishing industry, which includes KDP, is being systematically targeted and illegitimate by people looking to make a quick buck by exploiting the system.
“The number of people who are using AI software for the sole purpose of churning out bot-made drivel is increasing at such an alarming rate that consumers will at some point soon struggle to identify what is real and what is not.
“My intention is to create a system that enables readers make an informed decision about what to buy.
”If they want AI-generated material, then of course that’s fine. But if they want to read quality new books written by real people, the NO-AI stamp will give them that reassurance.”
Chat GPT and other AI software can generate entire books from basic prompts in minutes.
Other generative tools allow people to create covers and artwork at the touch of a button and with no previous experience.
There are tutorials on YouTube, TikTok and Reddit that demonstrate how quick and easy it is to create a book and self-publish it on Amazon the same day.
But with no obligation to attribute Chat GPT as the author or co-author of these works, there is currently no way for Amazon to reliably determine what is ‘human’ and what is not.
AI detecting software does exist but is not always accurate.
According to Haywood, who has self-published 40 titles on Amazon, it means tens of thousands of consumers are potentially being duped into buying bot-created books without realizing.
The only way to prevent more consumers from being mis-sold, he said, is for authors to “protect their own interests” and guarantee the authenticity of their products.
His NO-AI stamp features four handprints to represent each of the human personality and behavioral types – Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness (DISK).
Three versions are now available for authors to download for free and use on their books.
Haywood has already added the NO-AI stamp to the latest novel in The Undead series and will be giving each of his other books the same label in coming weeks.
He added: “The only people who benefit from this money-making scheme are the AI scammers, who have thus far been laughing all the way to the bank.
“This has to change for the sake of the publishing industry and to protect literature itself.”
