Literature and Drama Editor Gemma Bini investigates a novel that may, or may not, have had a little robotic help. Because apparently, even books aren’t safe from ChatGPT anymore.
As it turns out, students are not the only ones editing their work with AI: authors are doing this too. Just a couple of weeks ago, the internet was taken by storm by the news around Mia Ballard’s Shy Girl, a body horror novel that was pulled from publication because the publisher found out that ChatGPT was used to edit the book. But, before we dig into what happened, let’s answer the question: who is Mia Ballard?
Mia Ballard is an American novelist and poet, whose work pertains to the horror genre, often exploring themes of female rage. Her first book, titled Sugar, came out in 2024 - a story about a woman’s revenge on her cheating husband and best friend. The novel was published by Galaxy Press and received many mixed reviews. Some readers praised the plot for how unhinged, fun and empowering it was. Others, however, were already suspicious of Ballard’s prose. The novel appears to shift voice quite frequently, with sections that feature many grammatical mistakes that make it feel more human (but also, more poorly written), and other parts that maintain a more polished (but also, overly robotic) voice. So, getting accusations of AI use is not something Ballard is unfamiliar with.
This time, however, the controversy extended beyond the skepticisms of a few readers on Goodreads. Hachette Book Groups, which was supposed to release Ballard’s new novel in the US, refused to go through with the plan. The publisher stated that, after reviewing the book, they found enough evidence that it was written, or at least heavily edited, with ChatGPT. Although it had been released in the UK last November, selling almost 2000 copies, the already existing copies of Shy Girl have all been pulled from shelves. Hachette Book Groups stood firmly by their decision, issuing a statement to the New York Times affirming their commitment to protecting original creative expression and storytelling.
While the official news came from Hachette, readers had also been questioning the authorship of Shy Girl. The most popular review of the book on Goodreads, published by a user named Zoe in January, begins with the statement “I am quite certain that this was written by ChatGPT.” Even the original book cover, featuring a dog with a tear running down its cheek, seems to be an AI-generated reworking of a painting by Whyn Lewis, titled “Dreamer”. Still, throughout this media storm, Ballard has consistently denied all accusations. She initially claimed that there was absolutely no use of AI, but later suggested that she shared the draft with a friend who, without telling her, might have used ChatGPT to review it. This statement was made by Mia Ballard under a Youtube video by Frankie’s Shelf about the book, “i’m pretty sure this book is ai slop”, but the comment has now been deleted. Mia Ballard has also taken down all social media. In her final statement on the matter, she noted that she would be pursuing legal action against Hachette Book Groups.
If the accusations prove to be false, then Ballard would absolutely deserve compensation for how her reputation was ruined online. However, if they are true, this controversy raises many concerns for the current state of literature and publishing. It suggests that even publishers are struggling to distinguish the work of a human from that of AI. And, to play devil’s advocate, should authors be allowed to use AI to improve their writing? Perhaps Ballard could have used it even more than she did, as the parts of her novels that seem to be entirely hers are riddled with spelling mistakes.
Now, I think the use of AI in literature should be always condemned. Writing is an act that entails creativity and imagination, core human qualities that distinguish us from other animals. AI does not create: it reformulates the words of others and, in doing so, undermines and appropriates the work of human writers. I believe that most of us would agree that the unregulated use of artificial intelligence within the arts poses a serious threat. Yet, I think that the public outrage surrounding Shy Girl should be analysed more carefully.
Writing is an act that entails creativity and imagination, core human qualities that distinguish us from other animals. AI does not create: it reformulates the words of others and, in doing so, undermines and appropriates the work of human writers
There was widespread consensus that Mia Ballard did not deserve to be published for her use of AI, as she did not independently put in the work to be considered an author. While I do agree with this, it also led me to wonder if we hold all authors accountable in the same way. Sadly, the answer to this is no. Mia Ballard is a black woman, and it only took moments for the Internet to cancel her. Meanwhile, James Frey, a white author who has proudly admitted to using AI to mimic his writing style and generate new books, is still revered as a bestselling author.
In an interview with Centre Pompidou, Frey states: “I use AI because I want to write the best book possible, and I’m prepared to use all the tools at my disposal to make it happen.” Frey is almost more of an editor than an author to his books, as he relies on AI to produce drafts which he’ll revise to make them seem more human. Despite the similarities between his approach and Ballard’s alleged practices, his case has not sparked comparable levels of outrage. And, crucially, his publishers don’t seem to find a problem with this.
If we are serious about protecting the arts, we need to clarify our stance on AI. Should authors be condemned for using it, as in Ballard’s case? Or should its use be embraced as innovative, as Frey suggests? Readers may arrive at different answers, but what matters most is that we apply our standards consistently. The contrasting reactions to Ballard and Frey reveal a harmful bias in how we judge authors, one that demands critical reflection.