Amazon's Herbal Remedies Tainted by AI-Generated Content: Study Reveals 82% of Titles Were Likely Written by Machines.
A recent study published by a leading AI-detection company has found that nearly nine-tenths of the herbal remedy books listed on Amazon were likely written using artificial intelligence. The research, conducted by Originality.ai, analyzed 558 titles in Amazon's herbal remedies subcategory between January and September this year, revealing a disturbing trend.
The findings suggest that AI "slop" has taken over the platform, with many books containing questionable advice and unverified claims about herbal remedies. One of the most concerning examples is Natural Healing Handbook, a No 1 bestseller in Amazon's skincare, aroma therapies, and herbal remedies categories. The book's introduction promises to be a "toolkit for self-trust," urging readers to "look inward" for solutions, but the author's online presence appears to be suspiciously non-existent.
The study's lead author, Michael Fraiman, warned that AI-generated content is leading people astray and contaminating the herbalism community. Medical herbalist Sue Sprung echoed his concerns, stating that AI won't know how to sift through the "dross" of unverified information, which can be misleading and even harmful.
The research also revealed several red flags indicative of possible AI-generated content, including liberal use of nature-themed author names and liberal emojis, such as the leaf emoji. Furthermore, at least 29 books mentioned the work of controversial herbalists Barbara O'Neill and Alfredo Bowman, who have promoted unproven cures for cancer.
Industry experts are calling on Amazon to take action and label AI-generated content more clearly. Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, urged Amazon to remove all AI-sloppy books "as a matter of urgency" and invest in detecting AI-generated content proactively.
Amazon has responded by stating that it already has content guidelines in place and uses various methods to detect and remove books that violate those guidelines, whether they're AI-generated or not. However, the sheer scope of AI-generated herbal remedy content on the platform raises serious questions about Amazon's ability to effectively regulate and verify its vast marketplace.
A recent study published by a leading AI-detection company has found that nearly nine-tenths of the herbal remedy books listed on Amazon were likely written using artificial intelligence. The research, conducted by Originality.ai, analyzed 558 titles in Amazon's herbal remedies subcategory between January and September this year, revealing a disturbing trend.
The findings suggest that AI "slop" has taken over the platform, with many books containing questionable advice and unverified claims about herbal remedies. One of the most concerning examples is Natural Healing Handbook, a No 1 bestseller in Amazon's skincare, aroma therapies, and herbal remedies categories. The book's introduction promises to be a "toolkit for self-trust," urging readers to "look inward" for solutions, but the author's online presence appears to be suspiciously non-existent.
The study's lead author, Michael Fraiman, warned that AI-generated content is leading people astray and contaminating the herbalism community. Medical herbalist Sue Sprung echoed his concerns, stating that AI won't know how to sift through the "dross" of unverified information, which can be misleading and even harmful.
The research also revealed several red flags indicative of possible AI-generated content, including liberal use of nature-themed author names and liberal emojis, such as the leaf emoji. Furthermore, at least 29 books mentioned the work of controversial herbalists Barbara O'Neill and Alfredo Bowman, who have promoted unproven cures for cancer.
Industry experts are calling on Amazon to take action and label AI-generated content more clearly. Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, urged Amazon to remove all AI-sloppy books "as a matter of urgency" and invest in detecting AI-generated content proactively.
Amazon has responded by stating that it already has content guidelines in place and uses various methods to detect and remove books that violate those guidelines, whether they're AI-generated or not. However, the sheer scope of AI-generated herbal remedy content on the platform raises serious questions about Amazon's ability to effectively regulate and verify its vast marketplace.
I'm so done with these new herbal remedies on Amazon! 82% of those titles were probably written by machines? Like what even is that? 
Can't they just get some actual experts or at least fact-check their stuff before publishing it? It's crazy to think about how much misinformation is out there. And now I'm not sure if I should even trust the reviews from other customers... was it human who wrote those glowing comments or a bot? 
i mean who needs personal stories from actual people when u can just churn out generic info on natural healing with some pretty pics 
i was literally scrolling thru amazon herbal remedies and saw like 5 books in a row written by "Dr Sophia Rose" what even is that? 
and the part about the leaf emoji 
being a red flag?? that's hilarious 
but seriously folks, who's checking these things? shouldn't we be expecting more from amazon? i know they said they have guidelines in place but honestly it sounds like they're just winging it 
, but what if they're actually trying to help people? 
It's also true that the herbalism community is pretty complex and we need more resources to verify information, right? 
Maybe instead of calling out Amazon for not doing enough, let's focus on supporting authors who are using AI responsibly and creating high-quality content 
. I mean, it's not like we know everything about the world, so shouldn't we be open to new ideas and perspectives 
?
. AI-generated content might seem convenient but it can also lead us astray if we don't fact-check properly 
. the takeaway here is to stay curious and skeptical, especially when it comes to health-related topics 
.
It's scary, mate. I remember when we used to read real books, written by real people who knew what they were talking about. Now it's all AI-generated content, and it's like... what even is the point of that? 
And what's even more disturbing is that these books are getting published and sold as if they're legitimate. 
. It's like Amazon is enabling this slop to spread and profiteering off it. 
! If an 82% of titles are written by machines, how can we trust the info? It's like, what even is "Natural Healing Handbook" supposed to be good for? 
. I mean, who wants to read fake advice on herbal remedies? 
And it's not just the accuracy that's the problem, it's also the people who might get hurt because of these AI-generated books. My grandma takes her herbalism seriously and I know she'd be lost if she couldn't trust the info on Amazon. 
We need to make sure that the legit stuff is highlighted and the fake stuff gets taken down ASAP! 
i mean, what's next? AI-written medicine? 
i mean what kind of advice can a machine give you? its just so suspicious that they all have the same kinda names and use way too many emojis 
. We need some serious accountability here, like more transparency about AI-generated content and stricter guidelines for what's allowed on the platform 
. The leaf emoji thing is just laughable - who uses that much nature stuff in their writing? 
And don't even get me started on all those Barbara O'Neill and Alfredo Bowman mentions... what's going on with that? 