Latest news with #DarkhollowAcademy:Year2
Fast Company
28-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Fantasy and romance writers address AI controversies after readers discover prompts in published books
Two romantasy authors have publicly defended their use of artificial intelligence after being caught with AI-generated prompts left in their published works. While their readers are far from impressed, the writers insist that it does not take away from their craft. Excerpts from novels published by K.C. Crowne and Lena McDonald have been spreading across Reddit, Goodreads, and Bluesky, after readers discovered revision notes that read like ChatGPT and cues that reference the style of other authors embedded in the copy. 'I've rewritten the passage to align more with J. Bree's style, which features more tension, gritty undertones, and raw emotional subtext beneath the supernatural elements,' reads what appears to be an editing note in chapter three of McDonald's Darkhollow Academy: Year 2. (J Bree is also an author of romance and fantasy novels.) McDonald has since addressed the incident on the 'About the author' section of her Amazon book page. 'The truth is, I used AI to help edit and shape parts of the book,' she wrote in a recent note. 'As a full-time teacher and mom, I simply can't afford a professional editor, and I turned to AI as a tool to help refine my writing,' adding, 'my goal was always to entertain, not to mislead.' Harmless brainstorming or active deception? McDonald is not the only author who has been caught using AI prompts in recent months. A top-ranked author on Amazon who writes under the name K.C. Crowne published a book called Dark Obsession in January, one of many dozens of titles under the author's byline. However, it wasn't long before screenshots from the mafia-romance novel began spreading with what appeared to be an AI prompt in the middle of the page. 'Certainly! Here's an enhanced version of your passage, making Elena more relatable and injecting additional humor while providing a brief, sexy description of Grigori,' the passage reads, according to a screenshot posted on Reddit. Crowne has seemingly responded to the accusations via her personal assistant's Facebook account. 'I've recently started the practice of using AI to make very minor edits,' Crowne clarified according to a screenshot of a Facebook thread. Crowne also wrote in an email to Futurism: 'Earlier this year, I made an honest mistake. I accidentally uploaded the wrong draft file, which included an AI prompt. That error was entirely my responsibility, and that's why I made the tough decision to address it publicly.' She explained that she occasionally uses AI to 'brainstorm' or to tackle 'writer's block' but that 'every story I publish is fundamentally my own.' She also added, 'I only use AI-assisted tools in ways that help me improve my craft while fully complying with the terms of service of publishing platforms, to the best of my ability.' Fast Company has reached out to Crowne for comment. We could not find a contactable email address or public social media account for McDonald. New territory and fresh questions in an old industry These incidents add fuel to the fire that has been raging about AI's infiltration of creative fields. When it comes to the major players in publishing, their position on AI is tentative. Penguin Random House's AI approach champions human creativity and advocates for intellectual property, but adds 'we will use generative AI tools selectively and responsibly, where we see a clear case that they can advance our goals.' Meanwhile, Hachette UK opposes 'machine creativity' but encourages 'responsible experimentation with AI for operational uses' and recognises 'the benefits of remaining curious and embracing technology.' In this new murky territory, if authors are turning to these AI tools for brainstorming, editing, or even drafting, is it their duty to disclose this to unsuspecting readers? Or is an author's final seal of approval enough to claim the work as their own? That's provided they have proofread the work and deleted any giveaways.
NDTV
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Author Caught Using AI In Book Blunder, Readers Call It 'Embarrassing'
Fantasy author Lena McDonald is facing widespread backlash after readers discovered she was using artificial intelligence (AI) for her book. The readers spotted an AI-generated prompt accidentally left in the published version of the book, leading to shouts of unethical and careless behaviour. The novel titled Darkhollow Academy: Year 2, published under the romance genre called "reverse harem", carried a glaring blunder that was quickly discovered by the eagle-eyed fans. In the third chapter of the book, Ms McDonald seemingly attempted to copy the style of a fellow writer. "I've rewritten the passage to align more with J. Bree's style, which features more tension, gritty undertones, and raw emotional subtext beneath the supernatural elements," read the AI prompt. Notably, J Bree is the author of an internationally bestselling series of romance and fantasy novels, and Ms McDonald tried to emulate her style. Social media users react While the book has since been quietly updated and the passage removed on Amazon, screenshots of the gaffe continue circulating on social media platforms, where fans have dubbed the incident "so embarrassing". "That's an instant ban from me," said one user while another added: "What is the point of writing books if you aren't going to write them? Don't people enjoy writing?" A third commented: "I don't think she's the only author that's doing it and I wish there was a way to tell. So many books lately have been changing author voice midway through." Author Lena McDonald is blatantly using AI to mimic other popular author's writing styles by u/fox_paw44 in ReverseHarem AI's increased use This is not the first instance when the use of AI in a professional setting has caused controversy. Last month, lawyers representing My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell were pulled by a federal judge for using AI to write a legal brief in a defamation lawsuit. As per District Judge Nina Wang, the brief had 30 defective citations, including misquotes and citations to fictional cases. She ordered attorneys Christopher Kachouroff and Jennifer DeMaster to show cause as to why the court should not sanction the defendants, law firm, and individual attorneys.
Int'l Business Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Fantasy Author Called Out for Using AI After Leaving Prompt in Published Book: 'So Embarrassing'
A fantasy romance author is facing backlash after readers discovered an AI-generated prompt accidentally left in the published version of her book, sparking renewed criticism of AI use in self-published fiction. With the rise of generative AI tools, more authors have turned to software for brainstorming, editing, or even drafting entire scenes. But when remnants of AI prompts make it into the final books, fans and fellow writers see it as both careless and unethical. Author Lena McDonald's AI slip-up came to light when readers noticed an editing note embedded in chapter three of her book "Darkhollow Academy: Year 2," referencing the style of another author. "I've rewritten the passage to align more with J. Bree's style, which features more tension, gritty undertones, and raw emotional subtext beneath the supernatural elements," the passage read. The sentence, seemingly left over from an AI prompt, appeared in the middle of a romantic scene. While the book has since been quietly updated on Amazon to remove the passage, screenshots of the gaffe continue circulating on Reddit, where fans have dubbed the incident "so embarrassing." Comment by u/fox_paw44 from discussion in ReverseHarem Comment by u/fox_paw44 from discussion in ReverseHarem Additionally, the discovery sparked swift backlash from Goodreads commenters accusing the author of deceiving fans with "AI generated slop," dropping her rating drastically. "Is this the author using AI to 'write' books? Because it seems she is. I urge people to do the research, people are posting screenshots of an AI prompt left in the text," one commenter said. "This author is a blatant thief who uses generative AI to mimic other authors' voices," another added. McDonald, who also publishes under the name Sienna Patterson, has not responded publicly and appears to have no active online presence, making her difficult to reach for comment. Originally published on Latin Times
