Evidence of unfair use: AI books squeeze human authors out of the market

Researchers found evidence that AI-written books may be harming the market for human authors, according to an analysis of more than 14,000 ebooks sold on Amazon between 2023 and 2026. The study reported that the number of books containing substantial AI-written text increased 19-fold, while total reader spending on those books grew ninefold, suggesting the market became more crowded without comparable revenue growth for the average title. Books with no detected AI text lost market share as AI volumes spread. The report echoes concerns highlighted by the U.S. Copyright Office, which said commercial works competing with originals can go beyond traditional fair use. CEO Ed Newton-Rex of Fairly Trained called the premise that creators aren’t financially harmed “dead.”