You reach the Content tab in KDP, and there it is: a question asking whether your book contains AI-generated content. Many authors freeze at this point. Maybe you used a chatbot to brainstorm chapter titles, a grammar tool to clean up your draft, or an image generator for a first cover idea. Does that count? Will saying "yes" hurt your book? Will saying "no" get you in trouble later? This guide explains what Amazon actually asks, how its two categories work, and how to answer for your text, your cover and any translations, so you can publish with a clear conscience.
What Amazon's rule says
Amazon's KDP Content Guidelines include a section on artificial intelligence. At the time of writing, it says you must tell Amazon about AI-generated content (text, images or translations) when you publish a new book, and when you edit and republish an existing one. It also says you do not need to disclose AI-assisted content.
The whole rule depends on the difference between those two terms, so it is worth reading Amazon's definitions closely:
- AI-generated means text, images or translations created by an AI-based tool. Amazon is clear that this label still applies even if you applied substantial edits afterwards.
- AI-assisted means you created the content yourself and used AI tools to edit, refine, error-check or otherwise improve it. Using AI to brainstorm ideas also counts as assisted, as long as you wrote the text or made the images yourself.
The guidelines add one more point that many people skip: you are responsible for making sure all AI-generated and AI-assisted content follows the rest of the content guidelines, including intellectual property rights. Ticking the box does not transfer that responsibility to anyone else.
KDP's policies change, so treat this article as a plain-English starting point and read the current Content Guidelines page in the KDP Help Center before you publish.
The simple test: who created the words or the image?
The easiest way to sort your own situation is to ask one question for each part of the book: did a person create this, or did an AI tool create it? How much you edited it afterwards does not change the answer. Here is how that plays out in common situations.
Usually AI-assisted (no disclosure required)
- You wrote the manuscript and ran it through a grammar or spelling checker.
- You asked a chatbot for possible titles, plot twists or chapter ideas, then wrote everything yourself.
- You wrote a chapter and used an AI tool to suggest tighter wording, which you reviewed and accepted line by line.
- You drew or photographed your own cover image and used an AI feature to clean up the background.
Usually AI-generated (disclosure required)
- An AI tool drafted chapters or sections from your prompts, even if you rewrote them heavily afterwards.
- Your cover art, or any interior illustration, was produced by an image generator.
- An AI tool translated your book into another language.
- A tool or service "wrote the book for you" from an outline, and you edited the result.
Most real books are a mix, so look at each element separately. A novel you wrote entirely yourself can still need a "yes" because the cover came from an image generator. A nonfiction book can be AI-assisted in the text and AI-generated in a handful of diagrams. Answer for what is actually in the files you upload.
How to answer the question in KDP
Publishers who have walked through the current setup screens report that the AI question sits in the Content section of each format. That means your ebook, paperback and hardcover are answered separately, so check every format, not just the first one you set up.
- Make a quick inventory before you start. List the text, the cover, interior images and any translation, and note how each was created. Keep this note with your files.
- Answer for each type of content. If any text, image or translation in that format was AI-generated, say so. If you only used AI to help with content you created, you are not required to disclose it.
- Repeat it for each format. A paperback might include images that the ebook does not, or the reverse.
- Revisit it when you republish. The rule applies again when you edit and republish. If you replace a human-made cover with an AI-generated one, or the other way round, your answer may change.
If you genuinely cannot tell which side of the line something falls on, read the guidelines again and, if you are still unsure, contact KDP support through the Help Center. Guessing "no" to keep things simple is the riskier choice.
Does disclosing AI hurt your book?
This is a common worry. At the time of writing, Amazon has not said that the disclosure is shown on the product page, and it has not said that the answer affects ranking or royalties. That could change in the future, and readers increasingly care about how books are made, so the safest approach is to answer accurately now and make sure you would be comfortable if readers could one day see it.
What can clearly hurt a book is quality. Amazon's guidelines say it will remove content that creates a poor customer experience, and readers are quick to mention flat, repetitive or error-filled writing in their reviews. Whether or not you used AI, the book still has to read well. Our guide on how to get book reviews on Amazon explains why your first readers' impressions matter so much.
Other limits worth knowing
The disclosure question is only one part of the picture. A few related points come up often:
- Copyright. In the United States, the Copyright Office's published guidance says copyright protects human authorship. Material generated purely by AI is not protected on its own, and when you register a work you may need to describe the human contribution and exclude the AI-generated parts. Rules differ between countries, so speak to an intellectual property lawyer if ownership matters to you, for example if you plan to license film or translation rights.
- Audiobooks. ACX's own rules have required audiobooks to be narrated by a human unless ACX has authorised another method, such as its own voice programs. Check ACX's current audio submission requirements before you record or upload anything.
- Human-authored labels. Some author organisations now offer certification for books written by people. If being human-written is part of how you want to market your book, these programmes have their own rules about how much AI use they allow, so read them before you apply.
Working with a ghostwriter, editor or designer
If you hire professionals, you are still the person answering the KDP question, because you are the publisher on the account. That means you need to know how your book was made, even the parts you did not create yourself.
Before any work starts, ask each person or team you hire a direct question: will you use AI tools, and if so, for what? Then put the answer in writing. A clear agreement should say:
- whether AI tools may be used to draft text or create images, or only for limited tasks such as spell-checking;
- that you will be told about any AI-generated material so you can disclose it correctly;
- who owns the finished work and that the provider has the rights to everything they deliver.
This matters most for ghostwriting, where someone else is writing the actual words. A human-written manuscript built from your interviews, notes and voice is a very different product from AI text with your name on it, and it puts you on the AI-assisted or no-AI side of the line with confidence. Our ghostwriting service works this way: our writers draft the manuscript themselves, with you, and you can ask us exactly how your book is made before you start. If cost is part of your decision, our guide to how much a ghostwriter costs explains the typical price ranges.
The same question applies to covers. An illustrated or designed cover made by a person avoids an AI-generated image disclosure for that element and gives you clearer ownership of the artwork. If you want that certainty, our book cover design team can create covers for ebook, paperback and hardcover formats.
A quick pre-publish checklist
- Read the current KDP Content Guidelines, including the AI section.
- List every piece of content in each format and note how it was created.
- Get written confirmation of AI use from anyone you hired.
- Answer the AI question in every format, honestly and separately.
- Check rights for every image, font and quoted passage, whether or not AI was involved.
- Make sure the book has been properly edited and proofread so it reads well for a real reader.
- Keep your notes, so you can answer correctly when you republish.
If this is your first book, our step-by-step guide on how to self-publish a book on Amazon KDP covers the rest of the setup, from your account to pricing and categories.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to disclose that I used ChatGPT or another chatbot?
It depends on what you used it for. If it only helped you brainstorm or edit content you wrote, Amazon calls that AI-assisted, which you are not required to disclose. If it wrote text that ended up in the book, even text you later rewrote, that counts as AI-generated.
Do I need to disclose an AI-generated cover?
Yes. Amazon's guidelines say AI-generated images include cover and interior images and artwork, so an AI-generated cover needs disclosure even if the text is entirely yours.
Can Amazon remove my book for using AI?
Amazon allows AI-generated books as long as you disclose them and they follow its content guidelines. Books can be removed for breaking those guidelines, for example by infringing someone's rights or giving customers a poor experience. Review the current guidelines rather than relying on rumours.
Does the AI disclosure appear on my product page?
At the time of writing, Amazon has not said that it shows the answer to customers. Check the KDP Help Center for any updates, and answer as if readers could see it.
Publish with confidence
The AI question is not a trap. Work out who created each part of your book, answer for each format, and keep your notes. If you would rather have a human team handle the hard parts, from writing to cover design to Amazon KDP publishing setup, we can help. We have published 500+ books, and our services start from $200. Book a free consultation or call us at +1 205-301-7751 to talk through your book. There is no obligation.