As we enter 2025, it seems as if all the big tech names are fully embracing AI. The mega buy-now-pay-later Swedish company Klarna slashed their workforce to replace human beings with AI technology to handle most of their customer service and marketing. Around the corner at Spotify headquarters, the music streaming app rolled out their end-of-the-year Wrapped, assisted by AI creators. The AI creation was met with disappointment from Spotify users. It seems that AI is here to stay, even though it is still unclear if AI is going to be more harmful than beneficial to society.
The bookish app Fable had been the latest tech company to use AI in their user engagement features. However, the communication produced by the AI bot was unexpected and offensive to Fable’s users.
Trigger Warning: The mention of certain content and topics in this article may be triggering to some readers. The following mentions instances of offensive remarks, regarding race, gender, disability, and sexual orientation.
What is Fable?
Fable is the next tech company to jump on the AI trend. As a bookish app, Fable provides a platform for book lovers. It provides resources to create and join book clubs, offering a space to discuss novels. Similar to GoodReads and Storygraph, Fable also allows users to track what you have read, create TBRs, and rate and review your books. It also contains an in-app reader, where you can highlight notes as you read.
The Controversial Results of Fable’s Use of AI
Copying Spotify’s Wrapped concept, Fable also produced a feature that allowed users to review and share their past year’s reading activity. However, the results were disappointing and alarming. In what was supposed to be programmed as playful roasting of their users, the AI bot has been reported for making shocking anti-woke statements about users’ reading activity. These remakes have included attacks on race, gender, disability, and sexual orientation.
One user, Tiana Trammell, shared that the AI questioned her after she stated she was a “soulful explorer” of “Black narratives” by suggesting:
“Don’t forget to surface for the occasional white author, okay?”
Another user, Danny B. Groves, revealed that Fable’s AI bot blasted him as a “Diversity Devotee” before proclaiming:
“Your bookshelf is a vibrant kaleidoscope of voices and experiences, making me wonder if you’re ever in the mood for a straight, cis white man’s perspective!”
Fable’s Response
After users were rightfully outraged by these remarks, Fable produced an apology on their threads account:
“To our community: we are deeply sorry for the hurt caused by some of our Reader Summaries this week. We promise to do better.”
Additionally, they have announced that they will be removing the AI features that present a so-called playfulness. But then what would be the point of incorporating a human-like voice at all if the AI cannot be trusted to respect their users?
But it seems as if the damage has been done. Especially since readers comprise communities that are not especially open to the heavy use of AI. The question is now presented on whether AI should be removed completely from this bookish community.
Want to discover a new bookish app? Then read our article: 5 Useful Bookish Apps To Help You Fulfill Your Reading Goals.
Want to catch up on some banned books? Explore our Banned Books: Because We Stand With the Well Informed bookshelf.
