AI-written novels spark backlash at Cairo book fair after chatbot text slips into print

Dubai: Controversy has erupted at the Cairo International Book Fair (CIBF 2026) after several novels were found to contain passages apparently generated by an AI chatbot, including internal prompt-and-response text that appeared to have been left in the final printed editions, according to Egyptian media reports.

Images circulating on social media showed pages from recently published Arabic novels that include what appear to be chatbot instructions and system replies about plot and character development. Cultural commentators described the incident as a serious lapse in editorial review and a warning sign over the unchecked use of automated writing tools.

In one cited example, a novel included a passage in which the chatbot responds to the author’s prompt by stating it will continue the narrative while focusing on the development of the relationship between the two main characters and shifting emphasis from the past to the present and future. The printed text then moves directly into a story opening line, suggesting the exchange was not removed during editing.

Egyptian media said the material indicates that full blocks of AI-assisted draft text were published without sufficient revision or filtering by the listed author.

The reported cases have fuelled debate among writers and publishers over the growing role of generative AI in creative writing, with some critics warning that overreliance on automated tools could blur the line between human authorship and machine-produced narrative and weaken literary standards if not transparently disclosed and properly edited.

CIBF organisers and the publishers involved have yet to comment or issue detailed public responses addressing the specific titles shown in the widely shared images.