Several romance authors have accidentally left AI-generated prompts in their published novels, revealing their use of artificial intelligence tools. Matthew Gault reported for 404 Media that readers discovered suspicious paragraphs in at least three recent romance publications.
In “Darkhollow Academy: Year 2” by Lena McDonald, readers found text stating: “I’ve rewritten the passage to align more with J. Bree’s style, which features more tension, gritty undertones, and raw emotional subtext.” Similar AI prompts appeared in K.C. Crowne’s “Dark Obsession” and Rania Faris’s “Rogue Souls.”
The authors responded differently to the discoveries. Crowne admitted to using AI tools occasionally but called the inclusion an accidental upload error. She emphasized that her stories remain fundamentally her own work. Faris denied using AI and blamed an unauthorized proofreader who allegedly used the technology without permission. McDonald could not be reached for comment.
Amazon allows both AI-generated and AI-assisted content on its platform. Authors must disclose AI-generated material but not AI-assisted writing. The romance community responded swiftly with negative reviews and social media criticism.
Digital versions of the affected books have been updated to remove the AI prompts, but physical copies remain unchanged. The incidents highlight growing concerns about AI use in creative writing and the challenges authors face in maintaining transparency with readers about their writing processes.