Readers Are Waging War On AI Slop

Barnes & Noble CEO Addresses Stocking of AI-Generated Books

The publishing industry continues to examine the role of artificial intelligence in book production following comments by Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt. In a May interview on the “Today” show, Daunt stated that the company would consider stocking books if they are clearly labeled as AI-generated, do not misrepresent their origin, and meet customer demand.

“I have actually no problem selling any book, as long as it doesn’t masquerade or pretend to be something that it isn’t, and that it has an essential quality to it, and that the customer, the reader, wants it,” Daunt said. He added that Barnes & Noble would stock such titles “as long as an AI-written book says it’s an AI-written book and doesn’t pretend to be something else and isn’t ripping off somebody else, as long as that’s clearly stated and the customer wants to buy it.”

On May 21, Daunt issued a clarification stating that Barnes & Noble does not endorse or intentionally sell AI-generated books, actively excludes them from its online platform, and considers it very unlikely that reputable publishers will produce them or that customers will demand them in significant numbers.

Keith Riegert, president of The Stable Book Group and CEO of Ulysses Press and VeloPress Books, discussed the broader industry implications in an interview. His parents founded Ulysses Press in 1983 with the title “Hidden Hawaii,” later developing an adventure travel imprint. After travel books declined in the early 2000s due to internet competition, the company shifted to data-driven publishing. The Stable Book Group now includes four publishing companies and a distribution operation.

Riegert described AI as a potential disruption to employment in publishing and other white-collar sectors. “It is a very clear signal — and should be a clear signal to every industry — that this is a monumental threat to the way that people make a living and to just about every white-collar job,” he said.

Riegert has observed varying attitudes toward AI among students in NYU’s publishing master’s program. Approximately one-third report daily use of AI tools, while the remaining two-thirds indicate they do not use them. He noted that this pattern occurs among a generation raised with digital devices.

Riegert also pointed to consumer interest in physical media, citing increased sales of vinyl records as an example of demand for tangible objects. He referenced a student who brings physical books to social settings, stating that this choice can facilitate conversation compared with phone use.

In nonfiction and some fiction categories, Riegert observed titles with AI-generated author images and content targeting established niches. “There are plenty of books that are doing very well in nonfiction categories, especially, and now in fiction, that have fake authors with AI-generated images, and the books are targeting well-established niches — and they are selling,” he said. He added that consumer response to AI generation in these cases does not appear uniformly negative.

Publishers Weekly reported that the total number of books entering the market increased by one million titles compared with the previous year, while output from the largest five publishers remained largely unchanged. The increase consists primarily of self-published titles. Data on the share produced using AI tools has not been independently verified in the reported figures.

Riegert described changes in marketing effectiveness. Campaigns using polished AI-generated trailers have shown reduced performance, while video content featuring authors speaking directly has produced stronger results. “The marketing angles that are working for us now are taking us back to the original ways that we would market a book,” he said. “It is a shaky iPhone video of the author talking about their book. It is something that is very authentic. And if the video is too good, it is actually a detriment to the performance.”

He linked these trends to the role of curation. “I think that we’re starting to get to this pivot point where the role of the gatekeeper and the critic is going to come back,” Riegert said. He framed the central competition in media as one for audience time, noting that content must demonstrate value to retain it.

Self-publishing has lowered barriers for authors, resulting in higher overall title volume. Riegert suggested that increased supply may reinforce the function of selection mechanisms such as bookstore curation and critical review in guiding consumer choices.

Barnes & Noble has reported sales growth under Daunt’s leadership alongside a wider recovery among independent bookstores. Staff recommendations remain a feature of physical retail operations.