How the LLM influx is reshaping the economics of the book market — for better and for worse

The digital publishing landscape has shifted from a steady stream to a flash flood. Between 2022 and late 2025, the monthly volume of new book releases tripled, driven by the rapid diffusion of Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. While critics warn of an era of “AI slop,” new research by Imke Reimers and Joel Waldfogel suggests a more nuanced reality: a market where average quality is falling, yet consumer value is reaching record highs.

Video: AI-generated, Freepik