AI-generated books. Who Wrote This Book?

The SNP Biographies Scandal and the Erosion of Author Trust

When Amazon pulled a batch of unofficial ebook biographies of Scottish politicians from its virtual shelves this week, it wasn’t just correcting a catalogue error. It was quietly acknowledging that something has gone very wrong in publishing.

The books, purporting to tell the life stories of First Ministers John Swinney, Nicola Sturgeon, and Humza Yousaf, were riddled with factual errors and wild fabrications. One claimed Swinney was born in the US to a Polish mother. Another invented a childhood of poverty for Yousaf, despite his well-documented privileged education. The supposed “author,” a certain Brian B. Porter, also seems to have penned titles on Burt Bacharach, Silvio Berlusconi, and Canadian ice hockey, suggesting a bot or a scam artist rather than a seasoned biographer.

Read more about the scandal here

Let’s call this what it is: publishing impersonation. A mash-up of plausible words and algorithmic hallucination, packaged to look like an ebook, given a glossy badly designed thumbnail, and handed over to the public as though it were genuine work.

Biographies from Amazon

The New Old Wild West

We are in an era of automated content and AI-generated books. Platforms like Amazon function more like digital flea markets than curated bookstores. Anyone, or anything, can upload a book, set a price, choose some keywords, and enter the global marketplace. AI makes this faster, cheaper, and more convincing. Within minutes, an entire book can be conjured and attributed to a non-existent author with a flattering bio.

And the result? Readers can no longer tell what’s been written by a real person, what’s been edited, or what has been hallucinated by a machine. There are no obvious warning signs. No mandatory disclaimers. No author photos. Just a name, a title, and a description claiming “meticulous research.”

What Happens When Real Creators Disappear?

This might seem like a political gaffe or a technical hiccup. But it’s also symptomatic of a deeper problem for professional writers, illustrators, and publishers.

When large publishers deliberately strip creator credits from book metadata, covers, title page verso, titles pages, or websites, they’re making it even harder for teachers, librarians, and parents to verify who made a book. This is often done to save space, rebrand a series, obscure past contributors, or to pass off very old books as "new."

If the names and biographies are gone, how do we distinguish the real from the fake?

Children’s books, in particular, rely on trust. We trust that the information inside is accurate. We trust that the illustrations were carefully created, not copy-pasted from AI image prompts. We trust that the author knows their audience and hasn’t just churned out content for SEO purposes. But without named creators and consistent bibliographic records, that trust begins to disappear.

How to Spot a Real Book in an AI-Generated Book Flooded World

For teachers, librarians, and readers trying to navigate this chaotic new world, here are some guidelines to help:

Check the Author’s Track Record

Search the author’s name. Do they have other books listed by reputable publishers? Do they appear on school library sites, publisher pages, or in author interviews?

Look for Credible Publisher Imprints

Established publishers (Penguin Random House, Usborne, Walker Books, etc.) will fact-check their books and work with vetted creators. Avoid titles with generic-sounding publishers or self-published books with no editorial information. No editor, consultant, or concept creator.

Look for Named Illustrators and Credits

A real book has a real creative team. If the illustrator isn’t named or the author bio is vague or missing, be suspicious. If the “about the author” sounds robotic or includes bizarre claims (“Brian has written over 800 biographies…”), it may not be genuine.

Use Library Tools

Library catalogues (like WorldCat, British Library, or school library systems) often include verified bibliographic data and author information. If a book isn’t listed there, proceed with caution.

Read the Reviews (With a Critical Eye)

Many AI books are review-bombed, either inflated by fake five-star ratings or tanked by one-star reviews pointing out their flaws. Pay attention to patterns and specific complaints about accuracy or credibility.

The Need for New Standards

We are rapidly approaching a moment where metadata—the credits, bios, and publication information—must be protected and enforced in the same way we protect trademarks or journalistic bylines. A book isn’t just a file; it’s a record of intellectual and creative labour. When platforms or publishers erase that record or allow anyone to fake it, we’re not just dealing with bad books; we’re dealing with misinformation, reputational theft, and a broken system of trust.

AI can have a place in publishing. It can assist with research, summarise notes, or offer creative inspiration. But it must be fact-checked, edited, and clearly declared. An AI-generated book with a fabricated biography is not just “poor quality content.” It’s a publishing fraud.

Some Publishers Are Finally Taking Action

Just days after the SNP e-biography scandal, a group of French publishers led by ex-Hachette chief Arnaud Nourry announced something remarkable: they’re now actively scanning incoming manuscripts for AI-generated content.

Their tool, developed by self-publishing firm Librinova, analyses writing style, tests for large language model predictions, and cross-references the results to detect AI use with “maximal precision.”

It’s not about banning AI outright; they’re clear on that. It’s about transparency: knowing what role AI has played in a manuscript and making informed editorial decisions. That’s the kind of responsible action we should expect from publishers.

And yet, while France pilots AI-detection tools, what’s the UK response? A shrug from Amazon, silence from big publishing houses, and, in many cases, the quiet removal of author credits from covers and metadata.

Let’s be clear: the threat to authorship isn’t just AI. It’s corporate apathy. And France, for now, is showing us a different path.

What We Can Do

If you’re a writer, illustrator, or concept creator, insist that your name and biography are always present on the cover, in the metadata, and in online listings. If you’re a publisher, fight the pressure to anonymise series or overwrite creator contributions. If you’re a reader, parent, or educator, ask questions. Who made this? Why should I trust it?

And if you're Amazon, stop pretending you're a neutral marketplace. You're a publisher now, whether you like it or not. And publishers have responsibilities.

One Last Thing

AI isn't the enemy. But laziness is. In the race to flood the world with content, we’re in danger of erasing the people who actually know how to write, draw, teach, and tell the truth. And we’ll miss them when they’re gone.

David Salariya is a real author (ask around), who built a publishing company the old-fashioned way, with pencils, people, and fact-checked paragraphs. Since selling Salariya Books to Bonnier UK, he’s been on a mission to expose fake biographies, call out publishing misinformation, and teach others how to spot AI-written books before they start quoting ChatGPT at school assemblies. He still believes in author trust, illustrator credit, and the fine tradition of finishing what you start, yourself.

Find his latest human-made projects at www.davidsalariya.com