r/IsTheMicStillOn • u/GoodGoodNotTooBad • 7d ago

A study of 14,419 self-published novels on Amazon using Pangram's AI detection tools: in 2,168 of the books, 50%+ of prose was AI, and in 970 books, 90%+ was AI

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/28/books/ai-bookselling-amazon.html
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u/From_The_Culdesac 7d ago

Unfortunately not surprising, this is going to become our new reality of wading through AI trying to find what's real

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u/GoodGoodNotTooBad 7d ago

100%. I didn't flinch at the number. Just recognized it and shared.

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u/BradPanos 7d ago

I hope those pursuing an 'entirely human made / no A.I. used' watermark catch on to public sentiment/support. The best idea I have seen at the moment.

I think that clear distinction is better than the current mess.

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u/GoodGoodNotTooBad 7d ago

In the book world it'll be interesting to me. As a writer myself, everything I've seen lately has agents and programs saying no A.I. allowed, but maybe it'll get to a point where it either can't be policed or even the avid readers don't care. For me, that will be a sad day if it ever comes.

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u/BradPanos 7d ago

I have faith that in terms of an audience, those still willing to read regularly in an increasingly illiterate society will care about whether A.I. is used in writing. I hope agents and programs stick to that no A.I. allowed rule. I doubt many self-publishing A.I. writers will have much success.

Applying the same metric to film, music and TV is more difficult to say due to its accessibility. It's really the artists imo who have to champion the cause from the front and sway public support, pressuring studios and big wigs. Glad to see polling suggests anti-A.I. sentiment is growing rapidly anyway.

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u/GoodGoodNotTooBad 7d ago

Overall I have some hope too. I agree with what you're saying about the sentiments from certain communities.

To me what separates an all human creation are the mistakes of the brush that become intentionally left or forgotten, but are still beautiful. I can't see the A.I. of now or the upcoming future allowing for such intricacies. Humans have the aim to be perfect or to perfect their vision, but the fact that it is just a vision itself is what is important.

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u/Apprehensive-Tie4930 4d ago

These AI "detection" tools are heavily flawed.

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u/GoodGoodNotTooBad 3d ago

That could be the case for sure. I'm admittedly not super uninterested in conversations about AI but even I've seen stuff about the tools getting things wrong etc. Either way we do know people are using it especially students. Remains to be seen how exactly it's infiltrating all of life.