Amazon has introduced a new policy limiting self-published books to three per day in response to a significant rise in AI-generated content being offered for sale in recent months.
The company announced the new restrictions in a forum post on the Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform.
According to the statement, Amazon is lowering the limits on the creation of new titles “to help protect against misuse.”
Kindle Direct Publishing allows authors to self-publish their books and list them for sale on Amazon. Amazon has specified that the maximum number of books allowed is currently set at three, although this number is subject to change if necessary.
Amazon explained that there was previously no specified limit on the number of books that could be listed daily, the post noted that Amazon is actively monitoring the rapid developments in generative artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on reading, writing, and publishing.
The company stated, “While we haven’t seen a large rise in publishing, to help protect against misuse, we have reduced the limits we originally set on the number of new title creations.”
Authors and publishers also have the option to seek an exemption from this rule, the announcement comes a week after Amazon introduced a requirement for authors to disclose if their content was AI-generated, adding a new section to its guidelines that includes definitions of AI-generated and AI-augmented content.
Dr. Miriam Johnson, a senior lecturer in publishing at Oxford Brookes University, commented on the changes, saying, “Amazon is making reasonable and incremental steps, and I hope it is prepared to do more as necessary.
AI-generated content is unlikely to disappear anytime soon due to the numerous training courses promoted for those seeking easy profits from selling low-quality and potentially harmful AI-generated content.”
Earlier this month, AI-generated mushroom research books were flagged on Amazon due to concerns that the content might include potentially dangerous advice. AI-generated travel books also flooded the platform at one point.
