cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/7458945
Many mushroom identification and foraging books being sold on Amazon are likely generated by AI with no human authorship. These books could provide dangerous misinformation and potentially lead to deaths if people eat poisonous mushrooms based on the AI’s inaccurate descriptions. Two New York mushroom societies have warned about the risks of AI-generated foraging guides. Experts note that safely identifying wild mushrooms requires careful research and experience that an AI system does not have. Amazon has since removed some books flagged as AI-generated, but more may exist. Detecting AI-generated books and authors can be difficult as the systems can fabricate author bios and images. Relying on multiple credible sources, as well as guidance from local foraging groups, is advised for safely pursuing mushroom foraging.
I think these are ebooks. You can self-publish online for free so there isn’t much of a barrier to putting something out there, and hoping a few people fall for it and buy copies.
Not only ebooks. Amazon offers a print-on-demand service where you have basically no barrier to entry. You upload your book in digital form and if someone orders it, they print a copy and send it.
There’s a huge amount of trash on that service.
Oh interesting! That sounds like a nifty service if you set aside the trash.