AI-Generated Novels Ignite Controversy at Cairo International Book Fair 2026
Novels allegedly written entirely by artificial intelligence technologies have sparked a wide wave of controversy on social media, coinciding with the launch of the Cairo International Book Fair 2026, after readers circulated excerpts from works described as "poorly written" and bearing clear signs of machine-generated texts without human review.
The crisis erupted when users published paragraphs from one of the displayed novels, revealing direct and openly sourced phrases, which many considered a "serious error" by the author or publisher, due to reliance on artificial intelligence without literary editing or refinement, raising questions about publishing standards and accountability within one of the largest cultural fairs in the region.
In contrast, Mohamed Rashad, president of the Arab Publishers Union, downplayed the controversy, asserting that the use of artificial intelligence in authoring some novels or assisting in their production is "a normal and expected matter." He pointed out that a similar experience occurred in England in 2022, where a complete novel was published relying on artificial intelligence without raising legal issues at the time.
Rashad explained in his statements that employing artificial intelligence in designing novel covers has become a common and accepted practice in the publishing industry, given the significant development of digital design tools, emphasizing that this aspect does not represent a crisis at all.
He added that the real problem does not lie in the use of artificial intelligence itself, whether in writing content or assisting in its production, but rather arises when there is quoting or copying from previous literary works of other authors without permission, stressing that this constitutes a clear violation of intellectual property rights and cannot be justified under any circumstances.
The president of the Arab Publishers Union confirmed that the key issue in this case is respecting the rights of original authors, whether the literary work is the result of pure human effort or relies on artificial intelligence tools, clarifying that any novel proven to be copied or adapted from another work without legal basis is a clear violation that warrants accountability.
Between supporters who see artificial intelligence as a new tool for creativity and opponents who fear for the future of literary writing, the debate remains open regarding the limits of technology use in the literary world and the standards for distinguishing between innovation and infringement on the rights of others, within the corridors of a fair that is supposed to be a guardian of culture, not a battleground for its clash.
