SAN FRANCISCO: Until recently, Brett Schickler never imagined he could be a published author, though he had dreamed about it. But after learning about the ChatGPT artificial intelligence program, Schickler figured an opportunity had landed in his lap.
“The idea of writing a book finally seemed possible,” said Schickler, a salesman in Rochester, New York. “I thought ‘I can do this.’“
Using the AI software, which can generate blocks of text from simple prompts, Schickler created a 30-page illustrated children’s e-book in a matter of hours, offering it for sale in January through Amazon.com Inc’s self-publishing unit.
In the edition, Sammy the Squirrel, crudely rendered also using AI, learns from his forest friends about saving money after happening upon a gold coin. He crafts an acorn-shaped piggy bank, invests in an acorn trading business and hopes to one day buy an acorn grinding stone.
Sammy becomes the wealthiest squirrel in the forest, the envy of his friends and “the forest started prospering,” according to the book.
“The Wise Little Squirrel: A Tale of Saving and Investing,” available in the Amazon Kindle store for $2.99 — or $9.99 for a printed version — has netted Schickler less than $100, he said. While that may not sound like much, it is enough to inspire him to compose other books using the software.
“I could see people making a whole career out of this,” said Schickler, who used prompts on ChatGPT like “write a story about a dad teaching his son about financial literacy.”
Schickler is on the leading edge of a movement testing the promise and limitations of ChatGPT, which debuted in November and has sent shock waves through Silicon Valley and beyond for its uncanny ability to create cogent blocks of text instantly.
There were over 200 e-books in Amazon’s Kindle store as of mid-February listing ChatGPT as an author or co-author, including “How to Write and Create Content Using ChatGPT,” “The Power of Homework” and poetry collection “Echoes of the Universe.” And the number is rising daily. There is even a new sub-genre on Amazon: Books about using ChatGPT, written entirely by ChatGPT.
But due to the nature of ChatGPT and many authors’ failure to disclose they have used it, it is nearly impossible to get a full accounting of how many e-books may be written by AI.
The software’s emergence has already ruffled some of the biggest technology firms, prompting Alphabet Inc. and Microsoft Corp. to hastily debut new functions in Google and Bing, respectively, that incorporate AI.
The rapid consumer adoption of ChatGPT has spurred frenzied activity in tech circles as investors pour money into AI-focused startups and given technology firms new purpose amid the gloom of massive layoffs. Microsoft, for one, received fawning coverage this month over its otherwise moribund Bing search engine after demonstrating an integration with ChatGPT.
But already there are concerns over authenticity, because ChatGPT learns how to write by scanning millions of pages of existing text. An experiment with AI by CNET resulted in multiple corrections and apparent plagiarism before the tech news site suspended its use.
THREAT TO ‘REAL’ AUTHORS?
Now ChatGPT appears ready to upend the staid book industry as would-be novelists and self-help gurus looking to make a quick buck are turning to the software to help create bot-made e-books and publish them through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing arm. Illustrated children’s books are a favorite for such first-time authors. On YouTube, TikTok and Reddit hundreds of tutorials have spring up, demonstrating how to make a book in just a few hours. Subjects include get-rich-quick schemes, dieting advice, software coding tips and recipes.
“This is something we really need to be worried about, these books will flood the market and a lot of authors are going to be out of work,” said Mary Rasenberger, executive director of writers’ group the Authors Guild. Ghostwriting — by humans — has a long tradition, she said, but the ability to automate through AI could turn book writing from a craft into a commodity.
“There needs to be transparency from the authors and the platforms about how these books are created or you’re going to end up with a lot of low-quality books,” she said.
One author, who goes by Frank White, showed in a YouTube video how in less than a day he created a 119-page novella called “Galactic Pimp: Vol. 1” about alien factions in a far-off galaxy warring over a human-staffed brothel. The book can be had for just $1 on Amazon’s Kindle e-book store. In the video, White says anyone with the wherewithal and time could create 300 such books a year, all using AI.
Many authors, like White, feel no duty to disclose in the Kindle store that their great American novel was written wholesale by a computer, in part because Amazon’s policies do not require it.
When asked for comment by Reuters, Amazon did not address whether it had plans to change or review its Kindle store policies around authors’ use of AI or other automated writing tools. “All books in the store must adhere to our content guidelines, including by complying with intellectual property rights and all other applicable laws,” Amazon spokeswoman Lindsay Hamilton said via email.
A spokeswoman for ChatGPT developer OpenAI declined to comment.
FROM CONCEPTION TO PUBLICATION IN JUST HOURS
Amazon is by far the largest seller of both physical and e-books, commanding well over half of sales in the United States and, by some estimates, over 80 percent of the e-book market. Its Kindle Direct Publishing service has spawned a cottage industry of self-published novelists, carving out particular niches for enthusiasts of erotic content and self-help books.
Amazon created Kindle Direct Publishing in 2007 to allow anyone to sell and market a book from their couch without the hassle or expense of seeking out literary agents or publishing houses. Generally, Amazon allows authors to publish instantly through the unit without any oversight, splitting whatever proceeds they generate.
That has attracted new AI-assisted authors like Kamil Banc, whose primary job is selling fragrances online, who bet his wife he could make a book from conception to publication in less than one day. Using ChatGPT, an AI image creator and prompts like “write a bedtime story about a pink dolphin that teaches children how to be honest,” Banc published an illustrated 27-page book in December. Available on Amazon, “Bedtime Stories: Short and Sweet, For a Good Night’s Sleep” took Banc about four hours to create, he said.
Consumer interest so far has been admittedly sleepy: Banc said sales have totaled about a dozen copies. But readers rated it worthy of five stars, including one who praised its “wonderful and memorable characters.”
Banc has since published two more AI-generated books, including an adult coloring book, with more in the works. “It actually is really simple,” he said. “I was surprised at how fast it went from concept to publishing.”
Not everyone is blown away by the software. Mark Dawson, who has reportedly sold millions of copies of books he wrote himself through Kindle Direct Publishing, was quick to call ChatGPT-assisted novels “dull” in an email to Reuters.
“Merit plays a part in how books are recommended to other readers. If a book gets bad reviews because the writing is dull then it’s quickly going to sink to the bottom.”
ChatGPT launches boom in AI-written e-books on Amazon
https://arab.news/6hxqa
ChatGPT launches boom in AI-written e-books on Amazon
- Bot-made e-books have sparked an intense debate about authenticity, future of writers
Tunisia reduces jail term for TV host
- Tunisia’s Decree 54, the law under which Bssais was convicted, was enacted by Saied in 2022 to combat “false news”
TUNIS: A Tunisian appeals court commuted the prison sentence of a TV broadcaster from one year to eight months on Friday, his lawyer told AFP.
Borhen Bssais was initially handed a 12-month sentence under a decree punishing “spreading false information” and “defaming others or damaging their reputation.”
“The Court of Appeal in the capital Tunis decided to reduce Bssais’s sentence from 12 months to eight,” his lawyer, Nizar Ayed, said.
Bssais was arrested on May 11 and charged with “attacking President Kais Saied through radio broadcasts and statements between 2019 and 2022.”
Tunisia’s Decree 54, the law under which Bssais was convicted, was enacted by Saied in 2022 to combat “false news.”
But critics have said it has been used to stifle political dissent as the country prepares for a presidential election set for October 6.
Over the past 18 months, more than 60 critical voices have been prosecuted under the decree, according to the National Union of Tunisian Journalists.
Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said on Friday she found it “alarming and distressing to witness the drastic rollback of the human rights progress that Tunisia had made since the 2011 revolution.”
“The institution of justice has been brought to heel, while arrests and arbitrary prosecutions are multiplying,” she said in a statement after a four-day visit to the country.
Saudi Ad School aims to educate women in Kingdom’s advertising sector through new program
- ‘The Name Behind Her Talent’ program is in partnership with Publicis Groupe Middle East
- Yearlong program begins in September
DUBAI: Saudi Ad School, a Saudi-based educational institute specializing in advertising courses, has partnered with marketing and communications network Publicis Groupe Middle East to launch “The Name Behind Her Talent,” a women’s empowerment program in the Kingdom.
The program aims to educate female talent involved in Saudi’s advertising industry through initiatives such as scholarships, educational courses, talks and mentorship sessions, workshops, and industry salons.
The latter are initiatives focused on “empowering women within the advertising field,” with each salon featuring up to three women who will “share their experiences, insights, and expertise with our students,” said Enas Rashwan, founder and president of Saudi Ad School.
“The Name Behind Her Talent” is for now exclusively focused on the Kingdom.
Rashwan told Arab News: “We want to establish a strong foundation here before considering expansion to other countries.”
The yearlong program begins in September. Saudi Ad School has developed an eligibility application with a scoring system that will be available on its website and distributed at industry events for the program’s scholarships, which include the institute’s courses, master classes and workshops, Rashwan added.
Other activities within the program will be open and free for all women, she said.
Bassel Kakish, CEO of Publicis Groupe, Middle East and Turkiye, said that the partnership “underscores our dedication to fostering talent development while contributing to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals.”
He told Arab News: “Women’s empowerment is a specific area Publicis Groupe Middle East has been driving across the region, and this collaboration allows us to explore new opportunities with the future generation of leaders.
“Recognizing the immense potential of Saudi’s talent pool, it was a natural next step to combine our efforts for greater impact.”
Rashwan said that Publicis Groupe’s efforts in supporting women in advertising and its vision to foster talent in the Kingdom made the partnership a “natural fit.”
However, she added that the Saudi Ad School intended to “broaden its scope by forming partnerships with other prominent advertising networks.”
Rashwan has been running the Cairo Ad School in Egypt for nearly 12 years, and its success, “combined with strong demand from the Saudi market,” resulted in her decision to launch the Saudi Ad School last year, she said.
She added that the advertising sector in Saudi Arabia “is becoming more dynamic with a strong focus on digital transformation, creativity, and innovation, and we are seeing a shift towards content that resonates with Saudi culture and values, opening up exciting opportunities for advertisers.”
This evolution of the sector had created a demand for talent, making it an “opportune moment to introduce a program that equips students with the skills and knowledge needed to meet industry demands and contribute to the nation’s vision,” Rashwan said.
The program also aims to address some of the challenges women in Saudi face in the ad industry, she added, such as limited access to professional development opportunities; the need for more inclusive workplaces; and to have their “voices heard, and their opinions valued without hesitation or doubt, whether interacting with clients or within their teams.”
She said: “Saudi women are exceptionally driven and eager for achievements more than ever.
“By creating additional programs and opportunities, we aim to support their ambitions and enhance their contributions to the industry.”
Al Arabiya launches new podcast hub, Mazeej
- New podcasts aim to cater to global Arab audience
DUBAI: Al Arabiya Network has launched a new podcast hub, Mazeej, featuring shows on various topics including business, politics, arts and culture, health and wellness, and sport.
The podcasts are tailored to cater to Arab listeners of all ages around the world, according to a company statement.
The hub features contributions from Al Arabiya journalists and presenters, such as Nicole Tannoury, Layal Alekhtiar, Islam Al-Najjar, and Hanan Al-Masri.
In “Sasat,” Tannoury discusses political events with prominent politicians and experts and in “Wa Ma’a Ba’ad,” Alekhtiar analyzes current news stories.
“Heewar Teejari” with Al-Najjar features founders of major commercial brands sharing their experiences and learnings; and “Khalf Al-Jidar” with Al-Masri aims to spotlight the evolving Palestinian experience through interviews and testimonies.
Going beyond business and politics, “Masha’er” with Dr. Osama Al-Jamaa explores the human psyche, and “Jareema” with crime analyst Mohammed Alshaibani breaks down complex criminal cases.
In a bid to to cater to all Arab listeners, “Umm Al-Qossas” with Amro Zaki focuses on Egyptian society featuring interviews with inspiring figures from the country while “Yeman” with Ahad Yaseen chronicles the stories of Yemenis.
Mazeej is available on all major podcast platforms and YouTube.
Murdoch engaged in legal battle with children over succession, NYT reports
- Murdoch is trying to expand Lachlan Murdoch’s voting power in the Murdoch Family Trust to secure a majority and ensure that he cannot be challenged by the siblings, says report
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch is engaged in a legal battle against three of his children to ensure that his eldest son and chosen successor, Lachlan Murdoch, will remain in charge of his media empire, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.
Murdoch is trying to expand Lachlan Murdoch’s voting power in the Murdoch Family Trust to secure a majority and ensure that he cannot be challenged by the siblings, the report said, citing a sealed court document.
The Reno, Nevada-based family trust holds the family’s shares in Murdoch’s vast collection of television networks and newspapers through the companies News Corp. and Fox Corp. .
Lachlan Murdoch is chairman of News Corp, whose publications include the Wall Street Journal and the Sun, and chair and chief executive of Fox Corp.
The trust currently has eight votes: four controlled by Murdoch, and the remaining four controlled by the four children from his first two marriages. Murdoch’s youngest daughters, Chloe and Grace, from his third wife, Wendi Deng, do not have voting rights in the trust.
In court, Murdoch is arguing that having Lachlan Murdoch run the company without interference from his more politically moderate siblings — James, Elisabeth and Prudence Murdoch — will help preserve its conservative editorial stance, thus protecting the commercial value for all his heirs, the report said.
Fox Corp, News Corp, and Murdoch’s lawyer did not respond to Reuters requests for comment while the lawyer for the three children involved in the legal battle could not immediately be reached.
Fox News continues to be the number one US cable news network, playing an influential role in US politics, particularly among Republicans who prize Fox’s conservative-leaning audience.
Murdoch was that worried that a “lack of consensus” among his four children “would impact the strategic direction at both companies including a potential reorientation of editorial policy and content,” the report said, adding that he also wishes to hand Lachlan Murdoch “permanent” and “exclusive” control over the company, citing the court’s decision.
Global media watchdogs, human rights groups call on Biden to pressure Netanyahu regarding rising journalist deaths in Gaza
- CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg: Nine months into the war in Gaza, journalists … continue to pay an astonishing toll
- Ginsberg: More than 100 journalists have been killed. An unprecedented number of journalists and media workers have been arrested, often without charge
In letters signed by the Committee to Protect Journalists and seven other human rights and press freedom organizations, President Joe Biden is being urged to press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the rising number of journalists killed in the Gaza Strip and the near total ban on international media entering the enclave.
The letters call on Washington to “ensure that Israel ceases the killing of journalists, allows immediate and independent media access to the occupied Gaza Strip, and takes urgent steps to enable the press to report freely throughout Israel and the Occupied Territories,” while also detailing the number of grave press freedom violations and the response of total impunity.
The letters were signed by Amnesty International USA, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Knight First Amendment Institute, the National Press Club, PEN America, Reporters Without Borders, and the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.
The Israeli PM is expected to meet with Biden on Tuesday and is scheduled to attend a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war last October, the Israeli government’s actions have created what the letter describes as a “censorship regime.”
In a video message to Netanyahu last week, CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg said: “Nine months into the war in Gaza, journalists … continue to pay an astonishing toll.
“More than 100 journalists have been killed. An unprecedented number of journalists and media workers have been arrested, often without charge. They have been mistreated and tortured.”
Israel’s persistent impunity in attacks on journalists has also affected the rights and safety of two American journalists: Shireen Abu Akleh, who was murdered in 2022, and Dylan Collins, who was injured in an Oct. 13 strike by Israel on journalists covering the conflict in south Lebanon. The strike killed Reuters photographer Issam Abdullah and wounded others who were visibly wearing press insignia.
Investigations conducted by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, AFP and Reuters found the attack was more than likely targeted.
On Sunday in Vincennes, France, Collins joined his AFP colleague Christina Assi who lost her right leg in the same attack as she carried the Olympic flame in honor of journalists killed.
CPJ, which continues to urge decisive action by the US government on journalist safety and media access to Gaza, called on Biden to guarantee in his meeting with Netanyahu that the Israeli government take the following steps:
— Lift its blockade on international, Israeli, and Palestinian journalists from independently accessing Gaza.
— Revoke legislation permitting the government to shut down foreign outlets and refrain from any further legal or regulatory curtailment of media operations.
— Release all Palestinian journalists from administrative detention or who are otherwise held without charge, including those forcibly disappeared.
— Abjure the indiscriminate and deliberate killing of journalists.
— Guarantee the safety of all journalists and allow the delivery of
newsgathering and safety equipment to reporters in Gaza and the West Bank.
— Allow all journalists seeking to evacuate from Gaza to do so.
— Transparently reform its procedures to ensure that all investigations into alleged war crimes, criminal conduct, or violations of human rights are swift, thorough, effective, transparent, independent, and in line with internationally accepted practices, such as the Minnesota Protocol. Investigations into abuses against journalists must then be promptly conducted in accordance with these procedures.
— Allow international investigators and human rights organizations, including UN special rapporteurs and the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, unrestricted access to Israel and the Occupied Territories to investigate suspected violations of international law by all parties.
The letter was also sent to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
