According to a study by Originality.ai, over 80% of books on medicinal plants sold on the Amazon platform are likely written using artificial intelligence. Experts analyzed 558 publications released between January and September 2025 and concluded that the herbal medicine section on the platform is flooded with unmarked and effectively uncontrolled content.
This is reported by Finway
Growth of Dubious Content and Fictional Authors
Researchers identified dozens of fictional authors and brands under whose names books with recipes are published, the effectiveness of which is not scientifically validated. In particular, this includes the promotion of ginkgo tincture for memory improvement or gummies for immunity. The book Natural Healing Handbook, attributed to author Luna Philby, ranked highly in the “Aromatherapy” and “Herbal Medicine” categories; however, journalists could not find any information about the author or brand mentioned in the book. Text analysis showed that it was entirely generated by artificial intelligence.
Risks for Readers and Calls for Regulation
Experts are concerned that the lack of labeling and transparency creates risks for readers seeking reliable information about medicinal plants and folk medicine. Many AI-written books use pseudonyms like “Rose, Fern, and Carnation,” as well as leaf emojis—a characteristic style for generative models. Some of these publications reference discredited specialists, including Barbara O’Neil and Alfredo Bowman, who are known for promoting dubious cancer treatment methods.
“This exposes a vast amount of unmarked, unverified content that has completely flooded Amazon,” said study author Michael Freeman.
Herbalist Sue Sprang emphasizes that a significant amount of herbal research today is unreliable, and artificial intelligence is unable to filter out false information—instead, it only complicates navigation for readers. CEO of the Publishers Association, Dan Conway, urged Amazon to implement labeling for books created with AI assistance and to remove unreliable materials from the platform. Meanwhile, Amazon representatives stress that the company uses tools to detect violations regardless of whether the content is created by a human or artificial intelligence.