As the publishing industry wrestles with paranoia over the provenance of manuscripts, writers are caught in an impossible bind. Andrea Bartz is a prolific novelist with an impressive résumé . Since 2019, she has published five thrillers, become a New York Times bestselling author, had her work optioned by the likes of Netflix and Hulu, and picked up an endorsement from Reese Witherspoon's influential book club. But while Bartz and many other writers were on guard against this plunder of their work, another AI threat was brewing. What happens when authors are accused of relying on artificial intelligence themselves?

The Dell Laptop Buying Guide 2026: Which XPS or Alienware Laptop Should You Buy? The Dell Laptop Buying Guide UK: Which Dell Laptop Should You Buy? When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. It's not just Sam Altman: AI will ruin PC gaming in ways you don't expect From platforms like Steam to giant publishers like EA to the continuing RAM crisis, AI is making pretty much everything worse for the world's biggest entertainment medium. Good lord, it's been a bad week for gaming.

Workers tell WIRED that NOA--or "No Ordinary Assistant"--was unhelpful. Bestselling authors also say AI is ruining their relationships with Big Five publishers. As staff at the Lower Manhattan headquarters of Macmillan Publishers headed into work one morning in January 2024, they filed past something strange on the walls--flyers welcoming a new member of the team named "NOA." The cafeteria was festooned with purple balloons and banners, according to several workers present, and with NOA's name in light-up marquee letters. A plate full of doughnuts spelled out "NOA IS HERE." NOA was an acronym for No Ordinary Assistant, which many of Macmillan's human assistants found "offensive," multiple employees tell WIRED.

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AI Agents Are Media's New Favorite Audience As agents go mainstream, some publishers are hoping that people will pay for content tailor-made for AI--not humans. Every morning, Michelle Seo receives a morning briefing from Chattiana, her Muse artificial intelligence agent. Chattiana's briefing lists Seo's agenda and to-do list, and plucks water-cooler topics from the headlines in her various newsletters along with links to the sources. "I'm kind of challenging myself as an introvert to start more conversations," Seo, a San Diego-based public relations consultant, tells WIRED. The newsletter, she says, gives her a sense of the daily news and options for filling an awkward silence on a Zoom call.

Author withdrawn from France's Prix Goncourt last month has repeatedly denied using artificial intelligence to write novel The publisher of top-selling Haitian Canadian writer Thélyson Orélien, who was removed from France's most prestigious literary prize list last month, has confirmed the author used artificial intelligence to help write his novel C'était ça ou mourir (It Was Either That or Die). Orélien has denied allegations that he used AI on his breakthrough novel and, last week, Canadian publisher Les Éditions du Boréal said it was standing by the 38-year-old writer. But on Wednesday, Boréal said it had conducted a further investigation into the allegations. "New information, confirmed over the past few days, indicates that artificial intelligence was used in the writing process" of the novel, a statement from Boréal said. The publisher announced it was "ending its professional relationship" with Orélien.

The publisher of best-selling Haitian-Canadian writer Thelyson Orelien says it has severed its professional relationship with the author after confirming he used artificial intelligence to help write his novel, "It Was Either That or Die". Boreal said on Wednesday that it conducted a further investigation after allegations surfaced in September to determine whether AI was used to write the novel. Orelien had previously denied allegations surrounding his breakthrough novel, and last week, the Canadian publisher said it was standing by the 38-year-old writer. Boreal said it did not know the extent of AI's use in the writing process "and we will likely never have a definitive answer". It said it gathered all the working versions of the novel and hired an outside party to analyse the various drafts.

Alarm about declining interest in books is perpetual. But, as bookselling reaches unexpected heights, James Daunt, the chief executive of Barnes & Noble, thinks a different future is at hand. Daunt, the most important man in bookselling, maintains that a literary culture is something booksellers are well placed to build. It was the Friday before Labor Day, a lowering sun, when James Daunt, the most important man in bookselling, spilled off a train and turned to work. He had reached the end of the track in New Jersey. His destination, the Barnes & Noble in Eatontown, was three miles in from the shore. In the normal course of things, Daunt, who is tall and English and who often has the look of someone trying and failing to be invisible, would weave across the final stretch by bicycle--he has a folding Brompton--but the afternoon was muggy, and the traffic unkind, so he crammed into a rideshare car. On the map, Eatontown looked minuscule, but on the approach it unfurled: shopping mall ...

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Have a Meta business account? You're consenting to AI scraping now, legal experts say Nina Raemont is ZDNET's Health and Wearables Editor based in New York City. Meta Business Suite's new terms allow web-crawling on publication sites, legal experts say. The change goes into effect on Oct. 30.

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Have a Meta business account? You're consenting to AI scraping now, legal experts say Nina Raemont is ZDNET's Health and Wearables Editor based in New York City. Meta Business Suite's new terms allow web-crawling on publication sites, legal experts say. The change goes into effect on Oct. 30.