A new report from Originality.ai has sent shockwaves through the publishing industry after revealing that 82% of books about medicinal plants on Amazon were likely written by artificial intelligence. The analysis examined 558 publications released between January and September 2025, exposing a growing wave of AI-generated content flooding one of the world’s largest online marketplaces without proper labeling or oversight.
According to Michael Freiman, the lead researcher at Originality.ai, the findings expose “a massive amount of unverified and unlabeled AI-generated content that has completely overrun Amazon’s book categories.” Freiman emphasized that the lack of transparency and quality control poses serious risks to readers seeking information about herbal remedies and natural medicine.
The study highlights dozens of suspicious titles and fabricated authors promoting questionable recipes such as “ginkgo tinctures for memory” or “immunity gummies,” with no scientific proof of their effectiveness. One such book, Natural Healing Handbook by Luna Philby, even ranked first in Amazon’s “Aromatherapy” and “Herbal Medicine” sections — yet journalists found no trace of the supposed author, publisher, or cited magazine. Originality.ai’s algorithm detected a 100% probability that the text was AI-generated.
Experts noted distinct stylistic patterns typical of AI writing: nature-themed pseudonyms such as “Rose,” “Fern,” or “Clove,” alongside liberal use of leaf emojis 🌿 and repetitive phrasing. Some titles even cite discredited herbalists like Barbara O’Neill and Alfredo Bowman, known for promoting unverified cancer treatments.
“This wave of herbal research is pure nonsense,” said Sue Sprang, a professional herbalist. “AI can’t distinguish pseudoscience from reliable data — it just adds more noise, confusing readers who genuinely want to learn.”
Industry leaders are now calling for urgent regulation. Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, urged Amazon to label AI-generated books and remove misleading content from its platform. He stressed that transparency is critical to maintaining reader trust in an era when generative AI can produce thousands of convincing titles within minutes.
Amazon, in response, stated that it enforces strict publication policies and uses automated detection tools to monitor compliance “regardless of whether content is human- or AI-generated.” Still, critics argue that these safeguards are insufficient, given the sheer scale of AI-produced materials.
Conclusion:
The Originality.ai study exposes a critical flaw in digital publishing — the unchecked rise of AI-generated books masquerading as expert knowledge. As synthetic authors flood Amazon’s shelves, the line between authentic research and machine-fabricated fiction blurs dangerously. Without firm regulation and transparent labeling, the publishing world risks undermining both reader safety and the credibility of scientific literature itself.
