Tamil Nadu district central libraries hold 50,000 suspected AI-generated books
The books, mostly from Agalvilakku and Phoenix Publications, are being held back due to allegations of containing fabricated information.
Nearly 50,000 books are being held at district central libraries in Tamil Nadu because they are suspected of being AI-generated with fabricated information, according to School Education Department sources reported by The New Indian Express.
The books, primarily from Agalvilakku and Phoenix Publications, were intended for distribution to branch libraries. District officials estimate the count at approximately 1,500 books per district, totaling roughly 50,000 across the state.
In Salem, the district central library received 1,121 books from Agalvilakku and 360 from Phoenix. Madurai received 998 and 530 books from the two publishers respectively, while Chengalpattu received around 1,600 books from both, sources said.
Durai Thiayagaran of the Tamil Nadu Noolaga Munnetra Sangam said the suspected books were part of a second procurement round where books were selected on February 15. These books are currently being segregated and packed in boxes by librarians.
The Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI) condemned the practices, with president R S Shanmugam stating that the publishers under investigation were never members of the association.
PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss has demanded that the government release a White Paper regarding the alleged irregularities.