NBS called out over classics with apparent AI-generated covers

The issue highlights growing worries in publishing about AI replacing human artists and design work.

National Book Store is drawing criticism from Filipino readers after photos of classic novels with apparent AI-generated covers circulated on Threads.

The controversy began after Threads user @shuarkyy posted photos of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame displayed at a National Book Store branch.

“Why is NBS selling classic books with AI covers on them????” the user wrote. The thread had around 89,000 views when the screenshots were taken.

The editions were published by Timeless Books, meaning National Book Store appears to be the retailer rather than the creator of the covers. Still, readers questioned why the books made it onto its shelves.

Much of the attention focused on the Les Misérables cover, which depicts a young girl holding a basket. Netizens pointed to her strangely rendered hands and seemingly unnatural grip—visual irregularities often associated with AI-generated imagery.

“Clearly nobody has a grip!! Not even the photo!!” one commenter wrote.

Another said they would rather have “a plain white cover with just the author and title.”

Price also became an issue. A copy of Les Misérables shown in the post carried a ₱399 price tag.

“The audacity to even price it close with the Penguin Classics books,” one reader complained.

Others directly questioned National Book Store’s role as retailer. One user claimed to have seen the books at its Sulit Reads fair and said it appeared that nobody had reviewed the titles placed on the shelves.

“@nationalbookstore please fix this, it’s so disappointing :(” another wrote.

The controversy reflects a larger debate over generative AI in publishing, where writers, illustrators and designers have raised concerns about transparency, creative labor and the replacement of human-made artwork.

For critics, there is an added irony: literary classics celebrated for enduring human creativity are now being sold in editions wrapped in artwork that readers suspect was made by a machine.

As one commenter put it: “Why are publishers producing AI covers in the first place??”

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