Publisher pulls horror novel 'Shy Girl' over AI concerns

Hachette Book Group said it will not publish the novel Shy Girl over concerns that artificial intelligence was used to generate the text. The book was scheduled for publication in the United States this spring. The publisher will also discontinue the title in the United Kingdom, where it is already available. The decision followed a thorough review of the text, according to the publisher. Reviewers on Goodreads and YouTube had speculated that the book was likely generated by artificial intelligence. The New York Times said it asked Hachette about the concerns the day before the announcement. Author Mia Ballard denied using artificial intelligence to write the novel in an email to the Times. She blamed an acquaintance hired to edit the original self-published version. Ballard said she is pursuing legal action and that the controversy has left her mental health at an all time low and her name ruined for something she did not personally do. Writer Lincoln Michel and other industry observers have noted that United States publishers rarely do extensive editing when they acquire titles that have already been published in other forms.