The Weekly Wrap: May 17-23

James Daunt’s Bad Week

James Daunt, the CEO of Barnes & Noble sat down with Jenna Bush recently to discuss the turnaround of Barnes & Noble and recent book trends, including AI-generated books. And here’s the statement that got him into trouble:

“Yes, 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. 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.” (Source: “Barnes & Noble CEO Would Support Stores Selling AI-Written Books. Here’s Why“)

His remarks led to a social media firestorm and calls to boycott Barnes & Noble.

Why This is a Problem

What Mr. Daunt does not address are several troubling aspects of AI-generated works. One is that large language models train on human-authored works and to this point, authors are neither credited nor compensated. AI-generated books are a form of plagiarism and theft of intellectual property. It also allows for the “writing” of a book in hours or days instead of the months to years of research and writing by human authors. It is not a level playing field. Thirdly, even Barnes & Noble has limited shelf space and AI-generate books will take away available space for human authors. In addition, this endorses the massive energy and water usage by the data centers supporting AI.

Mr. Daunt Clarifies His Original Statement

In response to the criticism, James Daunt sent a statement to Publishers Weekly, which they summarized and quoted as follows:

“In explaining his reluctance to issue a blanket ban on AI-generated books, Daunt acknowledged his stance is ‘perhaps over nuanced, but there are important principles that have to be balanced and I believe we do so as sensibly and thoughtfully as is possible. Book banning is a clear and present danger, so we are very careful with demands to ban any books, as also in our vigilance not to sell AI generated books that masquerade to be by real authors.’ ” (Source: “James Daunt Looks to Clarify B&N’s Position on AI-Generated Books“)

The Problem With This Response

It appears that behind his remarks, he doesn’t want to engage in what could be perceived as book-banning, a stance to which Barnes & Noble has been adamantly committed. But the argument is specious. First of all, book-banning efforts are book-specific and content-oriented. That is different from choosing not to stock books not written by humans. In addition, this argument fails to address the above-mentioned problems with AI-generated text, notably, the theft of human intellectual property. Daunt is silent about this. But when a human author plagiarizes a book, booksellers pull it when this comes to light.

Why I Care

The local Barnes & Noble is the nearest store to us. I’m a Premium member (for which I pay). We buy a lot of books there and enjoy sharing our finds at the cafe. If they began stocking AI books, I would end this relationship. I interact with so many human authors and I know how hard they work to bring books to print. Thus, I cannot support a decision that preys on their intellectual property and displaces their books. I hope Mr. Daunt will reconsider and instead of a “nuanced” position, will say a flat “no” to AI-generated books. His current response is a marketing and public relations response. Instead, he could take a clear stance and use his stature to give decisive leadership to both his own company and the publishing industry. I hope he will.

Five Articles Worth Reading

The New York Times has taken a very different slant on summer reading. Rather than suggest titles, they offer a “bucket list” of categories. And if you complete five or more this summer, you can enter a drawing for a prize. Read all about it and get the link to enter by visiting “The New York Times’s Summer Reading Bucket List.”

James Nazir was one of the awardees of the Commonwealth Prize until readers, including some who used AI-detection software (which can be wrong), raised red flags that his story might be AI-generated. Vauhini Vara describes the challenges Granta faced in “This Literary AI Scandal Changes Everything.” The author has not responded to the allegations although he and other authors disavowed AI use. The article alerts me to the challenges that every author and publisher needs to navigate in this new AI landscape.

In recent years, colleges have oriented more toward STEM fields. But what happens when AI can perform equal to humans or better in many aspects, particularly in things like programming? Jacob Potash argues in “Rethinking Education in the AI Age” that the humanities could offer intellectual frameworks and “memory scaffolds” that provide the basis for a life well lived. He appeals to the way the Greeks used The Iliad.

From artificial intelligence to alien life. In “Is Alien Life Hiding in Plain Sight, Right Here in Our Solar System?,” Dr. Sarah Alam Malik considers the possibilities.

Finally, I was among those watching the final episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. From the interview with Paul McCartney, 62 years after he performed in the Ed Sullivan Theatre with the Beatles to the ending, it was a great, if bittersweet finish. One thing I liked about Colbert is that he interviewed authors! Publishers Weekly notes his impact on book sales in “Publishers Bid Farewell to Stephen Colbert.”

Quote of the Week

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born on May 22, 1859. He observed:

“Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.”

I’ve always thought that the mark of good leaders is that they surround themselves with people who excel them rather than are inferior to them.

Miscellaneous Musings

This was the week when I received nine books in two days. Lots of interesting new publications that I’ll be featuring on my social media in the next few weeks. One was Tish Harrison Warren’s new book on resilience, that I’ve already started reading.

A book I’ll be reviewing on Monday proposes that the most important philosophical experience common to all of us is the loving gaze of a mother toward her newborn child.

Don’t look to see me as much on X (Twitter). They are not only limiting posts per day for “unverified” (i.e. non-paying) accounts to 50 but also flagging you if you post a lot in a short period. Since I sometimes post in batches, I discovered X was blocking me. So I’ll limit what I post rather than support Elon’s empire.

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: Esther Lightcap Meek, The Mother’s Smile

Tuesday: Graham Greene, It’s A Battlefield

Wednesday: Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Man Up

Thursday: David W. Gill, ed., Questioning Technology

Friday: Valentyn Syniy, Serving God Under Siege

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for May 17-23.

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