Literature in crisis: AI and the relevance of reading

As with the ancient Library of Alexandria, our most precious literary works are under threat once again; only this time, the flames are digital. AI is reshaping the literary landscape, and transforming how we create, access, and experience literature. Public discussions of AI’s dangers often focus on its environmental impact, overlooking the potential consequences for how we absorb and interpret information. Is this rise in the use of AI consistent with a developing society or is it instead damning us into becoming disillusioned with others and the world?

Largely out of public view, American company Anthropic’s ‘Project Panama’ has used literature to train their AI chatbot (Claude) to be more ‘humanlike’. After scanning the books to create digital copies, Anthropic destroyed the physical volumes. This phenomenon is raising difficult questions about the value placed on literary preservation, in the pursuit of technological advancement. Destroying these books raises questions about what we lose when we treat literature primarily as a resource for technological development. Anthropic’s disposal of these works reflects a wider culture in which technological advancement and commercial interests can take precedence over preservation.

This furthers the question whether AI threatens a human’s ability to think for themselves, a growing issue in the wider world of academics

Understanding is fundamental to the human experience, and literature offers a powerful way to connect us to lives beyond our own. Without personally engaging with books and texts, we risk becoming editors of AI output, rather than independent intelligent thinkers ourselves. As such there is ongoing debate, as shown in studies by King’s College London, about whether work can be considered original to an author, if it draws on AI-generated material. This furthers the question whether AI threatens a human’s ability to think for themselves, a growing issue in the wider world of academics.

Literature’s place in society has changed considerably in the digital age. Reading and other creative pursuits, including painting, are increasingly being reshaped by generative AI, raising questions about the value we place on human creativity. A 2026 study led by Villanova University and published by Cambridge University Press found that most readers could not reliably distinguish between stories written by published human authors and those generated by ChatGPT. How relevant can reading remain in an age that increasingly threatens to replace it, and will it withstand the pressures of a changing world?

To appreciate a book’s full literary experience, we must engage with more than a condensed account of its plot

In a fast-paced, digitalised society full of trends and challenges surrounding books, what we consider to be ‘reading’ has changed. Bookish content creators constantly push extraordinarily high annual reading targets, creating pressure to keep up. Online, AI book summaries have become a major source of controversy: is it really reading, or cheating? Many argue that summaries are simply a time-saving tactic. However, research from Georgetown University and the University of Washington suggests that misleading AI-generated summaries can distort human memory. Although this study focused on videos rather than literature, its findings highlight the importance of engaging critically with the information that we consume. To appreciate a book’s full literary experience, we must engage with more than a condensed account of its plot.

The issue doesn’t stop there, though, with authors being exposed for using chatbots to write entire books, or at least parts of them. In one reported example, a passage in Knot My Pack by Jesse Pack included the instruction: ‘Here’s the Phoenix chapter ending properly formatted for a romance novel’. This raises concerns about mass-produced literature prioritising profit over originality and craftsmanship.

The commercialisation of the literary industry has created a modern dilemma, resulting in literature feeling borderline disposable. Such commercial shortcuts risk devaluing the work of authors who dedicate their lives to writing, reducing literature from a shared human experience to a disposable commodity. If literature is to stay relevant in the digital age, we must preserve not only the books themselves, but also our willingness to read, question, and understand them.