Latest news with #LenaMcDonald
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
