82% of Amazon Herbal Remedy Books ‘Likely Written’ by AI

TL;DR: Originality.ai scanned 558 herbal remedy books published on Amazon between January and September 2025, finding 82% were likely AI-generated. The study uncovered fictional authors, non-existent businesses, and books citing controversial herbalists with unproven cancer cures.

AI-generated content has infiltrated Amazon’s herbal remedies category at scale, according to new research from AI detection company Originality.ai. The study examined 558 titles published this year and flagged 82% as likely AI-written, with many featuring fabricated authors and potentially dangerous medical advice.

Fabricated Identities and Bestselling Books

The research uncovered systematic deception beyond mere AI usage. Natural Healing Handbook, a number-one bestseller in Amazon’s skincare and herbal remedies subcategories, is attributed to Luna Filby, described as a “35-year-old herbalist from Byron Bay, Australia”. However, neither Filby, her claimed brand “My Harmony Herb”, nor the book’s reviewer “Sarah Wynn” and her publication “Wildcraft Journal” appear to have any online presence beyond the Amazon page. The Guardian found no evidence these entities exist. Originality.ai’s tool flagged available text samples as AI-generated with 100% confidence.

Michael Fraiman, author of the study, calls the findings “a damning revelation of the sheer scope of unlabelled, unverified, unchecked, likely AI content that has completely invaded the platform.” The research identified several indicators of AI generation, including liberal use of the leaf emoji and nature-themed author names such as Rose, Fern, and Clove.

Medical Misinformation Risks

At least 29 of the apparently AI-generated books referenced Barbara O’Neill and Alfredo Bowman, controversial herbalists who have promoted unproven cancer cures. Sue Sprung, a medical herbalist in Liverpool, warns: “There’s a huge amount of herbal research out there right now that’s absolutely rubbish. AI won’t know how to sift through all the dross. It would lead people astray.”

The herbal remedies problem mirrors broader issues with AI content on Amazon. Last year, amateur mushroom pickers were warned about foraging books containing questionable advice on distinguishing lethal fungi from edible varieties, apparently written by chatbots rather than experts.

Looking Forward

Dan Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association, is urging Amazon to implement labelling requirements: “Any book that is fully AI-written should be labelled as such and AI slop must be removed as a matter of urgency.” Amazon stated it has content guidelines and proactive detection methods, saying it invests “significant time and resources to ensure our guidelines are followed, and remove books that do not adhere to those guidelines.”

The scale of AI infiltration in a category dealing with health and medical advice raises questions about platform accountability and the need for verification systems that can distinguish genuine expertise from algorithmically generated text.

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