Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...Hachette Book Group has cancelled the planned US publication of a horror novel, amid allegations that generative artificial intelligence was used in its composition. The book, Shy Girl, was initially self-published in February of last year, before being brought out last autumn in the UK by Hachette imprint Wildfire. Hachette said the book would also be discontinued in the UK, where it has sold nearly 2,000 copies. It said it appeared to be the first instance of a major publisher cancelling a commercial book over evidence of AI use. The book’s author, Mia Ballard, told the Times she did not use AI in writing the book, but alleged an acquaintance she hired to edit the self-published version of Shy Girl had employed AI.

Source: The Times March 24, 2026 13:08 UTC