You may pick up a book in the future and see a label that says it’s been written by AI. Barnes & Noble’s CEO is OK with that.
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“I actually have no problem selling any book as long as it doesn’t masquerade or pretend to be something that it isn’t,” Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt said on a “Today” show segment on Monday.
“So 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, then we will stock them.”
As concerns around AI grow. Daunt’s words have hit a nerve for some online. Book communities on TikTok, Reddit, and X have criticized the idea of stocking AI-written books, even when they are labeled as such.
Barnes & Noble did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Users said they were concerned about AI-written books using up space that could be filled instead by indie authors, and said they believe AI-written books are akin to plagiarism because they’re generated from existing work.
This isn’t the first time the topic of AI-generated books has generated heat online.
When an author, Tim Boucher, wrote an article in The Information in September 2024 with the title “I’m an author who proudly uses AI to write my books,” he received a lot of backlash online.
Boucher previously told Business Insider that he believes the accusations of fraud or plagiarism fail to acknowledge that he’s transparent about his use of AI, and that he is trying to open a new form of storytelling.
Alan Finkel, CEO of Proudly Human, an organization that verifies and labels human-created content, stressed the importance of a trust mark to prove the author is human.
“Our appreciation of creative work is especially tied to its provenance, which in the literary world is held, quite rightly, in high esteem. Authentic human connection is what’s at stake with the insurgence of AI-generated books, music, art, and videos,” he said.
Not everyone disagrees with Daunt’s words, however. Some online commenters point out it’s simply a ‘customer is always right’ situation.
“He clearly says only if there is high demand he would stock it. It’s literally the customer’s power to not ask for it,” one user on Reddit wrote.
As well as cost-cutting measures and a push to make each store have its own personality, part of CEO James Daunt’s strategy for Barnes & Noble has been to lean into online trends.
It’s working. He has spearheaded Barnes & Noble’s turnaround, with the bookseller planning to open 60 more locations this year.
