An Indian court has ordered an investigation into allegations that a public library in the southern state of Tamil Nadu bought hundreds of books suspected of being generated using artificial intelligence. The controversy centers on the newly opened Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore city, which has become the focal point of a growing scandal over procurement practices and content authenticity.
Allegations of Fake Content and Inflated Prices
The issue came to light after Tamil novelist Perumal Murugan raised concerns about books containing false information and questionable authorship. Murugan, whose works have received international recognition, alleged that nearly 1,800 books in the library’s Tamil section were supplied by a little-known publisher called Agal Vilakku Pathippagam.
Murugan noted that many of these titles carried unfamiliar author names, unusually high prices, and questionable International Standard Book Numbers. One specific book, titled Naladiyar Vaazhvin Vazhikatti, was reportedly priced at 1,445 rupees for 300 pages. The text incorrectly describes Naladiyar as a single poet and philosopher, when it is actually a classical Tamil work consisting of 400 four-line verses on morality and ethics.
Another disputed title attributes the ancient Tamil poem Madurai Kanchi to an incorrect author. Questions have also been raised about a book found at another public library in Madurai, which names renowned economist Jean Drèze as its author. Drèze told The Hindu newspaper that he had not written the book, raising concerns that his name was used without permission.
Court Orders and Political Fallout
The Madras High Court has ordered the state’s anti-corruption agency to investigate the purchases and freeze bank accounts linked to the publisher accused of supplying the books. Tamil Nadu School Education Minister A Rajmohan described the allegations as potentially India’s first AI scam. He stated that the investigation would cover purchases at other public libraries across the state.
The state government has blamed the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam administration for buying the books. The DMK has denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated. Rajmohan said the state would seek to recover public money if the investigation finds wrongdoing.
More than 160 writers, researchers, artists, and publishers have signed a joint statement calling for an independent inquiry. They are demanding the release of procurement records and an audit of library collections across Tamil Nadu. The group questioned how the disputed books could have passed through a selection process involving expert committees, price negotiations, and several levels of review.
Wider Implications for Publishing
The case has raised wider questions about the growing use of AI in publishing. Tools can generate entire books quickly and cheaply, but they can also produce false information and invented references. This has highlighted the challenges facing libraries and publishers in checking the authenticity of books as AI-generated content becomes more widespread.
The Periyar Arivulagam library was built at a cost of about 3 billion rupees. It was inaugurated on 16 October by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. Rajmohan said that 523 books had already been removed from the historic Connemara Public Library in Chennai after preliminary checks raised concerns about their authenticity and quality. Disputed books have also been removed from Periyar Arivulagam, while anti-corruption officials examine procurement records and inspect other libraries.
Attempts to verify the publishers involved have yielded little information. BBC Tamil visited a Chennai address listed by Agal Vilakku and another publisher named in the controversy, Phoenix Publishing House, but found no signs identifying either business. A woman at the address confirmed that Agal Vilakku operated there. Its proprietor, Mohan, declined to comment, saying the matter was before the courts.
Source: BBC
