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A new UK-based start-up is taking aim at the increasing trend of AI-generated books, introducing an initiative to authenticate and label human-authored titles.

Organic Literature Certification Initiative

Books By People has launched an “Organic Literature” accreditation, partnering with an initial group of independent publishing houses.

The program will involve Natural Writing labels being affixed on titles authored by people, with only restricted AI use allowed for functions such as layout or brainstorming.

Global Expansion Intentions

The company, established by antiquarian books expert Esme Dennys along with Conrad Young and Gavin Johnston, stated it plans to expand globally in 2026.

The inaugural certified book will be Telenovela by Gonzalo C Garcia, releasing this November by one founding partner. Additional collaborators include Snowbooks.

“This initiative is incredibly important for publishers, for authors and, above all, for readers. It is both a seal of quality and an guarantee of the shared humanity that we seek in books.

“I’m extremely honored to be the publisher who will have the first stamp – and it feels very fitting that that stamp should go on Telenovela, a novel about the struggle for honesty and against authoritarianism.”

Certification Process

Publishing houses can be eligible through commitment to the certification’s standards and yearly spot checks. Fees will vary based on the number of titles published each year.

Sector Background

The introduction comes at a time of heightened tension between the arts sector and artificial intelligence firms. Earlier this year, Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5bn to authors who accused the company of using unauthorized versions of their books to train its chatbot.

Efforts to highlight human creativity are gaining traction. In August, Faber applied a “human-authored” sticker to copies of Sarah Hall’s Helm. At the time, Faber CEO Mary Cannam said the company emblem “will always represent this human-authored origin”.

Market Scrutiny

The launch also comes amid increasing scrutiny of AI-created material on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon’s marketplaces, which analysts have warned continue to be a “unregulated space” due to the lack of oversight around AI-generated texts, and that dangerous misinformation could circulate as a result.

Sector Reaction

Dan Conway, Chief Executive of the publishing trade body, welcomed voluntary efforts to highlight human creation but noted the industry was not currently pushing for mandatory labelling.

“As the industry body it’s essential that we continue to support publishing houses and authors in standing up for human artistry and critical thinking,” he added, noting that the PA is urging e-commerce sites like Amazon to take more decisive measures against “substandard AI-generated material”.