Books by People gets UK approval for a human-authored book stamp

In short: A UK startup called Books by People can now issue an official-looking cover stamp for books it says were written by humans.

What happened

Books by People says it has received approval from the UK Intellectual Property Office to distribute a mark that signals a published book was authored by a person. The stamp looks like a thumbprint and is meant to appear on the book’s cover.

The move comes after several public disputes in publishing about whether some authors used AI tools to write books or parts of them. Recent examples cited by WIRED include a book deal reportedly worth $2 million being canceled, a novel being pulled from shelves, and readers questioning whether an award-winning short story was AI-generated.

Books by People is trying to go beyond simple trust-based labels. It asks authors for an authorship declaration, checks the manuscript with its own software, and reviews early drafts and research materials from the writer and editor for what it calls “indicators of humanity.” Think of it like showing not just the final cake, but also the recipe notes and earlier test batches.

The startup plans to charge publishers a membership fee, plus a per-book fee for certification. Five publishers have signed up so far, and the company expects the first stamped book by the end of the year.

Why it matters

For readers, the stamp is meant to make it easier to choose books written by people, in a market where AI-written text is becoming more common. For authors, it also raises concerns about false accusations, since AI detection tools can make mistakes and harm reputations.

Source: Wired