South African writer defends AI-assisted output of 370 books

CAPE TOWN: South African author Coral Hart, who writes under a pseudonym, has released over 370 books in just 20 months using artificial intelligence, despite facing harsh criticism and death threats. Hart, in her forties, is now seen as the face of AI's impact in publishing. She told AFP she had received tens of thousands of hate messages and death threats for her work.

Despite the hostility, Hart chose to advocate for the use of AI in writing, stating that the topic needed to be discussed. Hart had previously worked in publishing for 14 years and authored several dozen books before incorporating AI into her writing process. She now uses AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok to help her craft stories, develop characters, and create plot outlines.

Once she has defined the concept and style, the AI generates the books. Hart believes that the advancements in AI models over the past year have significantly improved the quality of the output. She explained that her books undergo multiple rounds of AI editing, developmental editing, and proofreading before they are ready to be published.

Although many of her 371 books are tailored to specific readers based on market research, she has sold more than one million copies in various formats, earning over $1 million in royalties this year alone. Hart is also preparing to launch her own software called Authorythm to facilitate AI-assisted writing. She defends her use of AI by pointing out that the books are selling well and that readers are not purchasing low-quality content.

However, she acknowledges that AI-assisted writing is a contentious topic, with critics accusing her of contributing to "AI slop." Despite the controversy, Hart remains committed to her method and is ready to share her process with the public for the right reasons.