VOL.93/2026.04

Topic

 

Why People Seeking Advice from ChatGPT Still Turn Their Backs on "One-Click Books"

 

 

2026.04

 

 

AI Publications Denied for Legal Deposit

 

The legal deposit system in Korea is a mandatory system where all books issued an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) must be submitted to the National Library of Korea and the National Assembly Library. The purpose of this system is to preserve library materials as national literature for future generations and to support parliamentary activities. The libraries receive two copies from the publisher and provide compensation for the cost of one copy.

 

However, an investigation by the Hankook Ilbo revealed that last year, for the first time since their opening, both the National Library of Korea and the National Assembly Library refused the legal deposit of AI-generated publications. In particular, it caused a significant stir in the publishing industry that the National Library of Korea—which strictly limits the refusal of deposits to exceptional cases to avoid "censorship disputes"—decided to selectively reject these books.

 

 

It has been quite some time since the winds of change brought by AI began sweeping through the Korean publishing industry. Efforts to improve productivity using AI are being attempted across various stages, including research, cover and illustration design, editing and proofreading, and translation.

 

The issue arises with the emergence of publishers who entrust the entire writing and publishing process to AI. Among them, Luminary Books, led by a university research team, faced heavy scrutiny after it was revealed they published approximately 9,000 e-books in a single year using their own AI tools. It took only about an hour and a half for one or two employees to produce a single book.

 

The publisher did not hide its use of AI, as its initial goal was to develop a Large Language Model (LLM) specialized for the Korean language. Nevertheless, readers who believe that "books are naturally written by humans" have labeled these mass-produced AI books with the derogatory term "one-click publishing," implying they are churned out with just a single click. Some have even created "blacklists" to avoid these publications.

 

 

 

 

Tax Waste Controversy Regarding Legal Deposits of Mass-Produced AI Books

 

Then, is a "book quickly churned out by AI" necessarily a "bad book"? Considering the reality where print media is often regarded as insufficient for capturing the ever-changing trends of modern society, there is no need to view this phenomenon only in a negative light. Since these books require less human labor, the costs are reduced accordingly, which opens up the possibility of lower prices for consumers.

 

However, "one-click books" available on the market have faced fierce criticism for orthographic errors, contextually inappropriate word choices, and factual inaccuracies. In some cases, the depth of the content is barely different from basic search results on web portals. For established publishers, these are problems that would be considered critical "accidents."

 

This aspect was decisive in the two national libraries' decision to exclude AI publications from legal deposits. It was revealed that the publisher whose legal deposits were refused by the National Library of Korea was Luminary Books. An official from the National Library of Korea explained that the reasons were "insufficient length, compilation of publicly available data, and repetitive content."

 

Concerns over "tax waste," specifically that AI-generated books aiming for legal deposit compensation could flood the market, also seem to have had an influence.

 

In 2016, when the National Library of Korea first began accepting legal deposits for e-books, the compensation paid out was 12.13 million KRW (for a 5-month period). However, last year, a record high of 262.76 million KRW was spent.

 

While the impact of inflation is certainly a factor, the lack of regulations regarding AI publications within the current legal deposit system is a clear limitation.

 

Consequently, the National Library of Korea has decided to initiate policy research to overhaul the online material deposit system. In the National Assembly, a bill has been proposed to clarify the legal grounds for the National Library of Korea to refuse such deposits.

 

 

 

 

Copyright Issues Still Unresolved Despite New Legislation

 

 

Then, wouldn't it be enough to train AI on high-quality data? However, this raises copyright issues. In 2024, American authors filed a lawsuit against the AI startup Anthropic, claiming their copyrighted works were used for AI training without permission. While the court acknowledged that Anthropic had illegally downloaded millions of books, it nonetheless ruled that the training itself fell under "fair use."

 

In Korea, opinions between the two industries are sharply divided over text mining for AI training. Publishers argue that AI companies must transparently disclose the sources of their training data and provide appropriate compensation to copyright holders. On the other hand, AI companies are pushing back with the logic that "training data is a trade secret and a core asset."

 

To address these issues, the "Framework Act on Artificial Intelligence" was enacted in January of this year. However, criticisms persist that the act lacks explicit provisions for copyright protection and that the regulations requiring AI service providers to ensure transparency remain somewhat ambiguous.

 

 

 

 

An Inevitable Wave of Change: Rethinking the Concept of Creativity in the AI Era

 

At this point, a fundamental question arises. Why do we feel the need to distinguish whether an author is a human or an AI? In an era where people even seek life advice from AI, why do we insist that books must be different?

 

Analyses by publishers regarding the "crisis of non-fiction" are worth noting. The fact that sales of "information-providing" books have been declining in major countries, including Korea, since the emergence of AI shows that readers are distinguishing between the roles of AI and books. People now expect more from a book than "simple facts"—they are looking for "unique human insight."

 

The literary world is no exception. Various contests and literary awards are banning entries created using AI. This is a measure to respect the value of creativity that humanity has long pursued and to ensure competition under equal conditions.

 

Yet, it is also an undeniable reality that the use of AI has become an irreversible trend in the publishing industry. Hwang Sok-yong, a representative South Korean novelist, revealed that he "utilized AI as an assistant" while writing his latest work, The Granny. In a blind translation contest between a human and an AI for Sino-Korean poetry from the Joseon Dynasty, the AI was even overwhelmingly chosen by professional translators.

 

Production principles also vary among AI publishers. Luminary Books stated, "We are aware of cases where ChatGPT responses are simply copied and published as e-books without any editing or review, but the results of such a process do not meet the standards of what we consider a 'book'."

 

Ultimately, the legal deposit issue that the National Library of Korea must resolve will likely serve as an answer to the question, "How should human creative activities be protected in the face of technological advancement?" At this turning point, where we must seek coexistence between the AI and publishing industries while dispelling censorship controversies and redefining the concept of creativity in the AI era, it is hoped that a space for healthy discussion will be opened.

 

 

 

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Written by Choi Da Won (Journalist)

She is a journalist at Hankook Ilbo, a major South Korean daily newspaper, where she covers the publishing industry. She reports on publishing trends and reading culture, primarily connecting with readers through book reviews. She also writes articles on architecture, food, and lifestyle.