Detection firm finds 82% of herbal remedy books on Amazon 'likely written' by AI
With gingko “memory-boost tinctures”, fennel “tummy-soothing syrups” and “citrus-immune gummies,” AI “slop” has come for herbalism, a study published by a leading AI-detection company has found.
Originality.ai, which offers its tools to universities and businesses, says it scanned 558 titles published in Amazon’s herbal remedies subcategory between January and September this year, and found 82% of the books “were likely written” by AI.
“This is a damning revelation of the sheer scope of unlabelled, unverified, unchecked, likely AI content that has completely invaded [Amazon’s] platform,” wrote Michael Fraiman, author of the study.
“There’s a huge amount of herbal research out there right now that’s absolutely rubbish,” said Sue Sprung, a medical herbalist in Liverpool. “AI won’t know how to sift through all the dross, all the rubbish, that’s of absolutely no consequence. It would lead people astray.”
One of the apparently AI-written books, Natural Healing Handbook, is a No 1 bestseller in Amazon’s skincare, aroma therapies and herbal remedies, subcategories. Its introduction touts the book as “a toolkit for self-trust”, urging readers to “look inward” for solutions.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/oct/22/detection-firm-finds-82-of-herbal-remedy-books-on-amazon-likely-written-by-ai