Even AI detection companies like Pangram got in on the action, claiming that the book had the hallmarks of being largely AI-generated.

Still, Hachette appeared to be moving forward with plans for a US release later this year.

Yesterday, The New York Times published its own investigation, in which it “analyzed passages from the novel using several AI detection tools and found recurring patterns characteristic of AI generated text, like gaps in logic, excessive use of melodramatic adjectives and an overreliance on the rule of three.”

That did it. Hachette pulled the book in the UK and canceled its upcoming US debut. Late last night, the Times received a comment from Ballard, the author, denying that she had used AI to write the novel. And yet, Ballard added, it was possible that a friend who helped edit the book did use AI.

“This controversy has changed my life in many ways and my mental health is at an all-time low and my name is ruined for something I didn’t even personally do,” Ballard added and claimed that she was pursuing legal action.

But what if it’s “good enough”?

This is one of the first major AI controversies to hit the world of traditional trade publishers, where the old-school gatekeepers still largely ban AI—at least for drafting. (Outlining, edit feedback, plot suggestions… all of these are far murkier.)

Whatever actually happened in this situation, publishing is likely to see similar disruptive patterns to those roiling the music industry right now, where tools like Suno are increasingly used to crank out songwriting demos and even (at least on places like Spotify) fully AI-produced music. Many artists and even distributors such as LANDR resist such AI use, but plenty of ordinary people don’t care. Their view seems to be: If the music sounds good—or good enough—what difference does it make where it came from? And, frankly, how different is super-glossy pop from the kind of thing Suno turns out?

In the case of Shy Girl, despite numerous claims that AI writing sucks and that it can be easily identified, plenty of readers enjoyed the book and even promoted it online. That may both terrify and horrify actual writers, but it remains a reality they’ll need to face.