Even now, Daunt is penning a stern letter to the former Duchess of York stating clearly that her spill-the-beans memoir must carry a sticker proclaiming “Not Actually Penned by the Face on the Cover”.
In the rarified air of Britain’s book retail elite, James Daunt, CEO of Waterstones, has deigned to address the vulgar intrusion of artificial intelligence into the sacred realm of literature.
Speaking on the BBC’s Big Boss Interview podcast, Daunt expressed a haughty recoil from AI-generated books, yet hedged his bets with the caveat that he’d stock them if clearly labelled and demanded by the unwashed masses. “It’s up to the reader.”
Spoken like a true businessman, Jim. Never mind the quality. Feel the width.
But one must ask: how exactly is it “up to the reader” to decide, as Daunt piously claims, if these digital interlopers are banished from his shelves before they even arrive? “We spend quite a lot of time trying to keep AI-generated content out of our shops,” Daunt says.
This stance reeks of snobbery, prioritising a self-appointed guardianship of ‘quality’ over genuine consumer choice – while hypocritically deploying AI in Waterstones’ back-end operations to keep costs down.
This stance reeks of snobbery, prioritising a self-appointed guardianship of ‘quality’ over genuine consumer choice – while hypocritically deploying AI in Waterstones’ back-end operations to keep costs down.
Daunt’s comments, reported in The Bookseller, highlight a broader tension in publishing: the clash between human creativity and machine efficiency.
Yet Daunt’s objections seem less rooted in ethical concerns – like the oft-alleged rampant theft of authors’ works to train AI models – and more in a contemptuous dismissal of anything deemed ‘generic’.
As publishing professionals navigate this brave new world, Daunt’s elitism serves as a cautionary tale of how traditional gatekeepers might alienate the very audiences they claim to serve.
Daunt’s Pronouncements: Literary Snobbery in Full Bloom
Daunt’s interview drips with disdain for what he calls the “more generic end of publishing and writing”. He posits that AI might replace such drivel, but assures us that the “more literary end” – which, naturellement, is what Waterstones predominantly sells, according to Daunt himself – remains safe from such proletarian threats.
One can almost hear the sniff of superiority as he extols the “clear identification of readers with authors”, facilitated by events, signed editions, and that oh-so-personal touch requiring a “real person”.
Does an exiled prince even count as a “real person”?
So. Jimbo, exactly what percentage of Waterstone’s sales are sold during in-person events where the author is there in the store? I’m sure you made a tidy sum selling Prince Harry’s spoiled-brat memoir, but I’m struggling to remember when Harry was in-store signing copies. Does an exiled prince even count as a “real person”?
And the hypocrisy! While Daunt happily harnesses AI for logistics and customer service – making his empire more efficient without a whisper of moral qualm – he expends “quite a lot of time” keeping AI content out of stores.
His objection? Not the alleged exploitative training of AI on copyrighted books, which has yet to be validated by any court Nor the use of pirated books, which has sparked multimillion-pound lawsuits across the industry, all so far settled out of court.
No, it’s sheer snobbery: most AI output, Daunt decrees, is “not books that we should be selling”. Yet he leaves the door ajar just in case AI produces the next War and Peace. This, you see, could happen, because AI has spent “trillions and trillions”.
But back to the important part here: You see, having said clearly Waterstones will not be selling AI content, Daunt in the next breath explains that he will absolutely sell AI content, just so long as it doesn’t “pretend to be something that it isn’t”.
This hedging is deliciously self-serving. Daunt spends “quite a lot of time trying to keep AI-generated content out of our shops,” but then has second thoughts and vows never to sell “disguised” AI books.
Ah, yes, those blasted disguised AI books with their false mustaches and blonde wigs, masquerading as celebrity slop and K-pop.
Ah, yes, those blasted disguised AI books with their false mustaches and blonde wigs, masquerading as celebrity slop and K-pop.
But if AI-slop is labelled? Then it will be “up to the reader.”
Daunt here taking a leaf from Markus Dohle’s playbook. You will remember how the Count unilaterally decided nobody wanted unlimited subscription audiobooks, and proved the point by removing all PRH titles from unlimited subscription platforms, and then gleefully pointed to the fact that none were selling in those stores as proof he was right.
All Daunt asks for is honesty. Transparency. Openness. Consumers have a God-given right to know who wrote the book they are buying.
And that ls why, after careful deliberation, Waterstone’s will hereon apply the same rigour to the celebrity memoirs and royal tomes churned out by ghost-writers. Even now, Jimbo is penning a stern letter to the former Duchess of York stating clearly that her spill-the-beans memoir must carry a sticker proclaiming “Not Actually Penned by the Face on the Cover”.
After all, that would be pretending, and heaven forbid such deception in Daunt’s hallowed halls.
The image of course is not real, but may yet prove prescient. James Daunt, after all, is the man who sold Amazon Kindle devices in Waterstones stores, undermining his own Waterstones ebook store.
History aside, here’s the thing: His stance smacks of elitism: protecting the literary snobs while sneering at mass-market fare that sustains so much of the industry – including Waterstones.
Scrutinising Daunt’s Elitist Posture: A Legacy of Gatekeeping
Daunt’s snobbish values aren’t new; they’ve been a hallmark of his career. As founder of Daunt Books, he cultivated an image of refined curation, dismissing mass-market chains as soulless. In a 2012 Guardian profile, he rejected the “elitist” label as “ridiculous”, yet acknowledged bookshops’ inevitable evolution into niche environments for the discerning few.
Under his Waterstones stewardship, stores gained autonomy to stock locally appealing titles, but this hasn’t erased accusations of cultural snobbery. Critics argue his focus on “literary” works marginalises genres like romance, thrillers, and children’s series – the very “generic” end he disdains, which often outsells highbrow tomes and supports diverse authors.
This elitism mirrors broader publishing divides. A 2023 LitHub piece on Barnes & Noble’s revival under Daunt (who also leads the US chain) praised his decentralised approach but noted it risks reinforcing class-based tastes, favouring “serious” literature over populist reads.
Daunt’s recoil isn’t from technology per se – he uses it for his own business – but from democratising content creation.
In AI’s context, Daunt’s recoil isn’t from technology per se – he uses it for his own business – but from democratising content creation. By scorning AI as unfit for his shelves, he positions Waterstones as arbiter of authenticity, yet ignores how such tools could empower underrepresented voices, if ethically deployed.
And for the record, this is deja-vu to those of us who remember Daunt’s contempt for the rise of ebooks and self-publishing in the UK.
AI’s Disruptive Shadow Over Publishing
The AI debate of course extends far beyond Daunt’s elitist boutiques. A University of Cambridge study cited in the interview found 51% of UK novelists fear AI replacing their work entirely. This anxiety has legs. But not for the reasons many think. To reel off a by now cliched reality: AI will not take their jobs. Authors who know how to leverage AI will.
Meanwhile, “AI slop” – defined as low-quality generated content what less discerning folk actually get a kick out of (a bit like ghost-written royal biographies, Jim, right?) – supposedly floods platforms like Amazon, diluting markets and eroding trust.
As ever, while there’s an element of truth there, the reality is rather different, as I explored in a recent TNPS post:
Industry Responses: Authenticity Marks and Calls for Clarity
In response, the Society of Authors (SoA) echoes Daunt’s labelling call but pushes further. CEO Anna Ganley welcomed his recoil from AI content, stressing readers’ right to know origins. The SoA is launching a “Human Authored” mark in 2026, part of an international collaboration with the US Authors Guild. This certification allows authors to verify their work as predominantly human-created, with minimal AI use permitted (e.g., for editing).
AI is either an existential threat to our industry, and we sincerely believe it has been trained on illegal content while fluffy kittens are sacrificed every morning to feed its bloodlust. Or it’s not.
And again, we’re back in double-standards territory. AI is either an existential threat to our industry, and we sincerely believe it has been trained on illegal content while fluffy kittens are sacrificed every morning to feed its bloodlust. Or it’s not.
The juggling acts of the UK’s Publishers Association, the aforementioned SoA, the American Booksellers Association (ABA) et al want to have their cake and eat it.
“The great copyright heist!” screams the PA’s Dan Conway.
“I’ve sent a letter to Meta!” rants the SOA’s Anna Ganley.
AI is destroying our industry. And by the way, be sure not to miss our next webinar showing how to use AI to improve your business. Or in the case of the ABA, “We asked ChatGPT to show you how to use ChatGPT to boost your publishing business.”
Hypocrisy in the Stacks
Daunt’s pronouncements reveal a publishing elite clinging to prestige amid technological upheaval. His snobbish dismissal of ‘generic’ works and AI and demands for transparency – while simultaneously selling generic content passed off as being written by royalty and celebrities, and profiting from AI behind the scenes – highlights a disconnect from our industry’s diverse ecosystem.
As lawsuits yield billions in settlements (albeit from pirated content, not legally-acquired copyright content) and authenticity marks gain traction among those who even care, professionals must advocate for ethical AI integration, not recoil in elitist horror.
Ultimately, if James Daunt truly believes it’s “up to the reader”, perhaps he should let the reader decide – without his lofty veto.
But don’t hold your breath; in the world of highbrow bookselling, some tastes are simply too refined for the masses. If you want to shift stock in Waterstones with Jimbo’s approval, ask an AI to knock up a back-cover image of you in a smoking jacket sat at a desk with a typewriter, a glass of port in hand, Oh, and make sure you look like an elderly white man. He’ll think he’s looking in a mirror.
This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsletter.
