Thousands of AI-generated fake books appear on Apple Books and Amazon

Apple Books and Amazon are facing a wave of AI-generated book clones that copy the covers, titles, and branding of real bestsellers, according to journalist Joanna Stern from The New York Times.

Stern discovered the issue through her own book, "I Am Not a Robot." Just days after its release on Apple Books, at least 10 AI-generated versions appeared with covers mimicking the original blue, yellow, and red design.

Among the copies was a book attributed to an author named Sophie Mercer, as well as another version credited to "Joana Stern" — with one missing "n" in the surname. Most of the fake books were priced at $9.99, with some listed for as much as $20.99.

After purchasing several copies, Stern found that they were AI-generated summaries that followed a structure similar to the original book. The listed publisher, Apex Press, did not appear to exist. Jason Sizemore, CEO of the real Apex Book Company, told Stern that the company regularly receives complaints about scammers using similar names.

After Stern contacted Apple in May, the fake versions were removed. However, by the beginning of this week, at least three new copies had appeared in the catalog before being taken down again.

Other bestselling authors have reported similar cases. Books including Lena Dunham's "Famesick" and Haley Sacks' "Future Rich Person" also appeared with AI-generated clones using covers designed to resemble the originals.

Apple said its platform prohibits content that misleads customers or infringes copyrights. The company also requires publishers to disclose when a book is fully generated by AI, although the rule does not apply to books created with AI assistance.