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South African author defends prolific output of 370 AI-assisted books

A South African writer publishing under the pseudonym Coral Hart has defended her use of artificial intelligence in producing hundreds of titles, citing strong commercial success. The author reports selling over one million books across multiple formats and earning more than US$1 million this year alone.

LSN Malaysia · 23 October 2026

South African author defends prolific output of 370 AI-assisted books

The prolific author, who maintains anonymity through her pen name, has become a notable figure in the debate surrounding AI-assisted publishing. Her catalogue of 370 titles spans digital, print and audio formats, demonstrating the scalability that artificial intelligence tools can offer to content creators.

Hart's commercial performance has drawn significant attention within publishing circles. With cumulative sales exceeding one million copies and revenues surpassing US$1 million in the current year, the author's success challenges traditional assumptions about the market viability of AI-assisted works.

The author's approach reflects broader trends in the publishing industry, where some writers and entrepreneurs are increasingly leveraging AI technologies to accelerate production cycles. However, this practice remains controversial among traditional authors and industry professionals who raise concerns about quality, originality and the impact on human creators.

Hart's willingness to publicly defend her methodology signals a shift in how some authors view AI as a legitimate tool within their creative workflow. Her financial success suggests there remains substantial reader demand for content produced using these emerging technologies, regardless of ongoing industry debate.