Amazon added a new artificial intelligence policy to its content guidelines for authors who distribute their work through its Kindle Direct Publishing platform, reacting to a wave of new books written using generative AI tools.
The policy doesn’t prohibit the use of AI but requires disclosure by authors in certain situations. Amazon is making a distinction between using AI to generate content, which the company will require authors to disclose; and using AI to assist in the process of editing and refining copy, which will not need to be disclosed.
Here’s how the new policy defines the two categories.
- AI-generated: We define AI-generated content as text, images, or translations created by an AI-based tool. If you used an AI-based tool to create the actual content (whether text, images, or translations), it is considered “AI-generated,” even if you applied substantial edits afterwards.
- AI-assisted: If you created the content yourself, and used AI-based tools to edit, refine, error-check, or otherwise improve that content (whether text or images), then it is considered “AI-assisted” and not “AI-generated.” Similarly, if you used an AI-based tool to brainstorm and generate ideas, but ultimately created the text or images yourself, this is also considered “AI-assisted” and not “AI-generated.” It is not necessary to inform us of the use of such tools or processes.
The Associated Press reports that the initial impact of the new policy “may be limited because Amazon will not be publicly identifying books with AI,” but says Amazon is leaving the door open to revisiting the practice in the future.
The policy is notable as an early attempt by a major publishing platform to address one of the major issues created by the rapid rise of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies this year.
The Authors Guild calls it “a welcome first step,” saying it follows “months of discussions between the Authors Guild and KDP leadership on the need for safeguards against AI-generated books flooding the platform and displacing human authors and to protect consumers from unwittingly purchasing AI-generated texts.”
