Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt said the company would not outright ban sales of AI-written books. He stated that books could be stocked when they clearly disclose they are AI-written, do not pretend to be something else, and do not rip off other creators. He emphasized that customer interest and essential quality matter for stocking decisions. Daunt acknowledged backlash on social media and clarified that Barnes & Noble has taken steps to avoid selling content written by large language models. He argued that banning a subset of AI content could create a slippery slope about who restricts AI and why, and he said reputable publishers would be unlikely to release AI-generated books.
"“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 told Today 's Jenna Bush Hager. “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.”"
"Daunt’s own admission about not condemning AI-generated books outright drew swift ire from social media, including intentions to boycott the company until it changed its AI policy. The backlash is part of a larger trend of people-including college graduates booing commencement speakers invoking AI-expressing public opposition to the technology."
"Rather, Daunt said banning a certain subset of books could be a slippery slope in debates around what entities are responsible for restricting AI content and why. No reputable publisher would choose to release an AI-generated book, he said, meaning it would be unlikely for Barnes & Noble to stock those books."
"Instead, he clarified in an email to Fortune, Barnes & Noble has taken steps to avoid selling content written by large language models, even though it will not outright prohibit sales of AI-generated content. “Our position is that we do not sell AI”"
Read at Fortune
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]