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
Italy’s far-right League faces complaint over ‘racist, Islamophobic’ AI-generated images
- Opposition parties have filed a complaint with the communications watchdog, accusing the party of using AI-generated images as part of a strategy to ‘incite hate’
- ‘If denouncing crimes committed by foreigners means ‘xenophobia’, perhaps the problem is not the word but those who use it to censor debate’ — League spokesperson
LONDON: Italy’s far-right League party has been referred to the country’s communications watchdog after opposition parties filed a complaint over “racist, Islamophobic and xenophobic” images generated by artificial intelligence and shared on social media by deputy prime minister and party leader Matteo Salvini.
The complaint was submitted to Agcom, Italy’s communications regulatory authority, on Thursday by the center-left Democratic Party, along with the Greens and Left Alliance. It alleges the images published by the League contained “almost all categories of hate speech,” according to The Guardian, which first reported the story.
“In the images published by Salvini’s party and generated by AI there are almost all categories of hate speech, from racism and xenophobia to Islamophobia. They are using AI to target specific categories of people — immigrants, Arabs — who are portrayed as potential criminals, thieves and rapists,” said Antonio Nicita, a PD senator.
Nicita also criticized the decision to blur the faces of the supposed victims, calling it “deceptive” and accusing the League of intentionally misleading users into believing the images were real.
Emilio Borrelli, an MP with the Greens and Left Alliance, said the images were “part of their strategy to create fear among citizens” and “incite hate.”
Over the past month, dozens of apparently AI-generated images have been posted across the League’s social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram and X. Many depict men of colour, often armed with knives, attacking women or police officers.
A spokesperson for Salvini’s party confirmed some of the pictures were digitally generated but insisted: “The point is not the image. The point is the fact,” adding the posts were “based on true reports from Italian newspapers.”
However, AI forensic experts have stated all the images in question bore clear signs of being artificially generated. They also noted that while platforms are required to label AI-generated content, in most cases automatic detection tools failed to do so.
In one of the posts cited in the complaint, a mother and father in Islamic dress appear to be shouting angrily at a young girl — a portrayal the complainants say fuels racial and Islamophobic stereotypes. The newspaper cited in the post, Il Giorno, makes no reference to the family’s religion and does not include any photographs. The only detail given was that the child had attended Arabic language classes.
As The Guardian reported, the use of AI-generated imagery by far-right parties across Europe has surged in recent months. The targets are often refugees from conflict zones such as Syria, Sudan and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as people from other minority backgrounds. These depictions frequently invoke the debunked “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory, which falsely claims that immigration is part of a plot to erode European identity and culture.
Salvini, who has capitalized on rising refugee arrivals in Europe to maintain a prominent role in Italian politics and advocate for stricter immigration policies, has frequently made headlines for inflammatory remarks, including calling immigrants — often men — “dogs and pigs.” In late 2024, he was acquitted of charges of kidnapping and dereliction of duty after judges ruled that the evidence presented by prosecutors was insufficient to convict him. The case stemmed from a 2019 incident in which Salvini, then interior minister, refused to allow a Spanish migrant rescue ship to dock in an Italian port, leaving those on board stranded at sea for 19 days.
Asked whether the League was aware the images could incite hate, a party spokesperson said: “We are sorry, but our solidarity goes to the victims, not the perpetrators. If denouncing crimes committed by foreigners means ‘xenophobia’, perhaps the problem is not the word but those who use it to censor debate. We will continue to denounce, with strong words and images, what others prefer to ignore.’’
If Agcom finds the League’s content in violation of regulations, it could act under the EU’s Digital Services Act, which allows it to order the removal of posts, shut down accounts or impose fines on social media platforms for failing to moderate harmful content.
SRMG Media Solutions, Penske Media partner to expand global footprint for MENA brands
- Advertisers in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East and North Africa can now leverage programmatic campaigns through diverse formats such as video, standard banners, and audience layering, companies said
- Campaigns tap into an audience of over 412 million monthly users and 150 million social media followers across 40+ global brands
RYIADH: SRMG Media Solutions (SMS) has announced a strategic partnership with Penske Media Corporation (PMC) to expand MENA advertisers' global presence through PMC's prestigious portfolio of internationally recognized brands.
Advertisers in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East and North Africa can now leverage programmatic campaigns through diverse formats such as video, standard banners, and audience layering. Key sectors include tourism, government departments, investment sectors, and mega projects. Additionally, advertisers can collaborate with PMC's notable publishers for innovative content creation and bespoke campaigns, subject to editorial approval.
This partnership enhances access to crucial global markets, including Asia and Western economies such as Europe and the USA. Advertisers can now integrate their campaigns on high-profile 40+ iconic brands including Variety, Rolling Stone, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, WWD, Robb Report, ARTnews and Deadline, and more, enabling connections with over 412 million monthly active users and 150 million social media followers. By tapping into 6 billion video views, this partnership offers unmatched potential for impactful global advertising initiatives.
SMS, a next-generation data-driven media solutions company, delivers advanced analytics-based advertising strategies. Utilizing first-party data, leading-edge AdTech, and AI-driven audience segmentation, SMS crafts personalized campaigns that drive growth and profitability. As the exclusive media partner for SRMG’s esteemed portfolio, SMS oversees brands such as Asharq Al-Awsat, Asharq News, and Akhbaar24, delivering engaging content across diverse platforms with a global footprint of over 170 million users.
Penske Media Corporation (PMC), a leader in media, digital, and publishing sectors, is renowned for its influential brands like Variety and Rolling Stone. Recognized for its premium content in entertainment, fashion, luxury, and pop culture, PMC extends its influence via digital media, print, and top-tier events such as SxSW and the Golden Globe Awards.
Ziad Moussa, Managing Director of SMS, stated, “We are thrilled to partner with PMC, which enhances our capacity to offer cutting-edge advertising solutions for our clients. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our goal of providing unprecedented access to the world’s top platforms.”
A representative from Penske Media Corporation added, “Working with SMS amplifies our capacity to deliver powerful advertising opportunities globally with high-quality content and innovative solutions.”
With its unmatched reach and a commitment to redefining excellence, SMS is poised to transform the media and advertising landscape in the MENA region and beyond. To become part of our journey and learn how SMS can revolutionize your advertising strategy, visit SRMG Media Solutions or contact partner@srmgms.com.
Amputee Palestinian boy image wins World Press Photo award
- The photographer is from Gaza and was herself evacuated in December 2023
- The jury praised the photo’s “strong composition and attention to light” and its thought-provoking subject-matter
Amsterdam: A haunting portrait of a nine-year-old Palestinian boy who lost both arms during an Israeli attack on Gaza City won the 2025 World Press Photo of the Year Award Thursday.
The picture, by Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times, depicts Mahmoud Ajjour, evacuated to Doha after an explosion severed one arm and mutilated the other last year.
“One of the most difficult things Mahmoud’s mother explained to me was how when Mahmoud first came to the realization that his arms were amputated, the first sentence he said to her was, ‘How will I be able to hug you’?” said Elouf.
The photographer is also from Gaza and was herself evacuated in December 2023. She now portrays badly wounded Palestinians based in Doha.
“This is a quiet photo that speaks loudly. It tells the story of one boy, but also of a wider war that will have an impact for generations,” said Joumana El Zein Khoury, World Press Photo Executive Director.
The jury praised the photo’s “strong composition and attention to light” and its thought-provoking subject-matter, especially questions raised over Mahmoud’s future.
The boy is now learning to play games on his phone, write, and open doors with his feet, the jury said.
“Mahmoud’s dream is simple: he wants to get prosthetics and live his life as any other child,” said the World Press Photo organizers in a statement.
The jury also selected two photos for the runner-up prize.
The first, entitled “Droughts in the Amazon” by Musuk Nolte for Panos Pictures and the Bertha Foundation, shows a man on a dried-up river bed in the Amazon carrying supplies to a village once accessible by boat.
The second, “Night Crossing” by John Moore shooting for Getty Images, depicts Chinese migrants huddling near a fire during a cold rainshower after crossing the US-Mexico border.
The jury sifted through 59,320 photographs from 3,778 photo journalists to select 42 prize-winning shots from around the world.
Photographers for Agence France-Presse were selected four times for a regional prize, more than any other organization.
Nairobi-based Luis Tato won in the “Stories” category for the Africa region for a selection of photos depicting Kenya’s youth uprising.
Jerome Brouillet won in the “Singles” category Asia-Pacific and Oceania for his iconic picture of surfer Gabriel Medina seemingly floating above the waves.
Clarens Siffroy won in the “Stories” category North and Central America for his coverage of the gang crisis in Haiti.
Finally, Anselmo Cunha won in the “Singles” category for South America for his photo of a Boeing 727-200 stranded at Salgado Filho International Airport in Brazil.
OpenAI is working on X-like social media network, the Verge reports
- The project remains in its early stages, with its release as a standalone application or integration into ChatGPT yet to be determined, report says
- Potential move could escalate tensions between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and X’s owner Elon Musk
LONDON: OpenAI is working on its own X-like social media network, the Verge reported on Tuesday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.
There is an internal prototype focused on ChatGPT’s image generation that has a social feed, the report said.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has been privately asking outsiders for feedback about the project, which is still in early stages, according to the Verge. It is unclear whether the company plans to release the social network as a separate application or integrate it into ChatGPT, the report said.
The company did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The potential move could escalate tensions between Altman and billionaire Elon Musk — the owner of X and an OpenAI co-founder who left the startup in 2018 before it emerged as a front-runner in the generative artificial intelligence race.
The feud has intensified in recent months. In February, a consortium of investors led by Musk made an unsolicited $97.4 billion bid for the control of OpenAI, only to be rejected by Altman with a swift “no thank you.”
Musk had sued the ChatGPT maker and Altman last year, alleging they had abandoned OpenAI’s original goal of developing AI for the benefit of humanity — not corporate gain.
OpenAI counter-sued Musk earlier this month, accusing him of a pattern of harassment and attempting to derail its shift to a for-profit model. The two parties are set to begin a jury trial in spring next year.
An OpenAI social network could also put the company in direct competition with Facebook-owner Meta, which is reportedly working on a standalone Meta AI service. In February, Altman responded on X over media reports on Meta’s plans, saying “ok fine maybe we’ll do a social app.”
Both Meta and X have access to a massive amount of data — public content posted by users on their social media platforms — that they train their AI models on.
New report shows why brands need to invest in women’s football in Saudi Arabia
- Among fans of women’s sport in the Kingdom, 61% follow football
- 56% of female fans would think more positively about brands that sponsor the women’s game
RIYADH: New research from football media company Footballco has revealed a growing interest in opportunities for women’s football in Saudi Arabia.
The report, released recently, also provides a profile of fandom in the region and how supporters want to consume both editorial and branded content.
Footballco’s study shows that among fans of women’s sport in Saudi Arabia, 61 percent follow football, compared to 47 percent globally.
This strong interest is relatively new, with 27 percent having followed women’s football for three to five years, 40 percent for up to two years, and one third stating that they have watched more games in the past 12 months.
The growth also highlights how, despite female fans being allowed into stadiums since 2018, some still felt excluded by the sport.
Seventy-two percent said that women’s football attracts fans who previously felt excluded from the sport, while 68 percent agree that inclusion can help tackle issues in broader society.
While females have played football in Saudi Arabia for decades, the Saudi Women’s Premier League only launched in 2022, making the surge in interest even more remarkable.
This is mirrored by the relatively high proportion of fans considering themselves Super Fans (21 percent). Only the US has a bigger proportion of Super Fans, and it is larger than in both Brazil and leading European markets.
Andy Jackson, Footballco’s senior vice president for the Middle East, said that globally an “increasing interest in women’s football follows an increasing interest in female empowerment.”
This was being replicated in Saudi Arabia with also a surge in interest in football more broadly, “creating a perfect storm that’s driving growth in both men’s and women’s football.”
The research shows that fans in the Kingdom see female players as great role models, more so than in other markets.
Saudi Arabia fans believe female footballers are the second-most inspirational group of women, beaten only by entrepreneurs. Globally, female footballers appear fourth behind entrepreneurs, actors and singers.
This should encourage brands to align themselves not only with women’s football as a sport but also with the women on the pitch. This point is emphasized by 56 percent of female fans saying they would think more positively about a brand that sponsors the women’s game.
For brands already involved in women’s football or those curious about opportunities, these numbers highlight that while socially conscious activations can be popular, they also need to align with broader lifestyle and cultural themes.
Sixty-one percent of women’s football fans say that they like it when content is a mixture of lifestyle and culture, rather than focusing on only the game.
By far, the most popular medium for this content is video, with 89 percent of fans naming it as their preferred format, which includes long- and short-form, live streams and documentaries.
Yasmin El-Bizri, Middle East and North Africa strategy director for Footballco, said: “Too often women’s football content and creative can be too focused on the struggle.
“While that’s important, it’s not everything and the output still needs to entertain and engage — this especially true in Saudi, where 54 percent of fans see women’s football as fun and entertaining.”
The research goes on to show that brands cannot rely on copying what they do for the men’s game. Sixty-six percent of fans say that the women’s game should be celebrated as different and that should be reflected by the media and the brands.
The research suggests brands should look at ways to increase participation for women and girls in all areas of football. Of those surveyed, 49 percent thought growth would be best achieved through more opportunities to play, while 30 percent wanted to see women in more off-pitch roles, in both men’s and women’s football.
“What’s clear is that Saudi women’s football isn’t an opportunity for brands in the future, it’s now,” Jackson added.
“As we’ve seen in more established markets, the brands that see the greatest benefits are those that are involved early on and get recognized for their contribution to supporting the game.”
Footballco’s research is based on data collected from more than 8,000 women’s sports fans across the world, including more than 1,000 from Saudi Arabia.
Footballco is home to a global football media brand, GOAL, and the biggest Arabic-language sports website, Kooora.
Footballco also operates two dedicated Arabic women’s football brands, INDIVISA, which covers the game and culture from the grassroots, and the Gen-Z YouTube show Yalla Girl.
