Bokum publisher accused of using AI for classic translations

The Swedish publishing house Bokum is facing allegations that it used artificial intelligence to translate over 840 classic literary works, including pieces by authors such as Karin Boye and August Strindberg. Critics argue these AI-driven 'modernizations' distort the original literature and may violate protections for classical works.

Following industry backlash, major retailers including Adlibris, Storytel, Bookbeat, and Bokus removed the titles from their platforms. However, investigations revealed that 108 of these titles remained available on Bokus under a different, unregistered publishing name. ISBN tracking confirmed these books were originally published by Bokum. The secondary entity used an address in Stockholm associated with mail-order services, and its CEO identifies as a translation agency professional with 30 years of experience.