Fable, the popular social media app that describes itself as a haven for “bookworms and binge-watchers,” has created an AI-powered year-end summary feature that summarizes the books users have read in 2024. did. Although intended to be playful and fun, some of the summaries took on an oddly combative tone. For example, author Danny Groves’ summary labels him a “diversity believer” and then asks, “Do you ever feel like asking for the perspective of a straight, cis, white man?” There is.
Meanwhile, Tiana Trammell’s influential summary of the book concludes with this advice:
Trammell was taken aback, but after sharing her experience with the Fable recap on Threads, she quickly realized she wasn’t alone. “I received multiple messages” from people compiling inappropriate comments about “disability and sexual orientation,” she said.
Since Spotify Wrapped’s debut, the annual recap feature has become widespread on the internet, providing users with an overview of how many books and news articles they’ve read, songs they’ve listened to, and workouts they’ve completed. Some companies are now using AI to completely create or enhance the way these metrics are displayed. For example, Spotify now offers AI-generated podcasts where robots analyze your listening history and make inferences about your life based on your preferences. Fable capitalized on the trend by using OpenAI’s API to generate summaries of users’ reading habits over the past 12 months, but we didn’t expect the AI model to spout comments like those of anti-woke critics. I didn’t.
Favre later apologized on several social media channels, including Threads and Instagram. I posted a video Statements made by the executive who committed the violation. “We deeply apologize for the hurt caused by some of this week’s reader summaries,” the company said in a caption. “We will do better.”
Kimberly Marsh Alley, Fable’s head of community, told WIRED before publication that the company is working on a series of changes to improve AI Overview. This includes an opt-out option for those who do not want an AI overview, as well as clear disclosures that indicate: It was generated by AI. “For now, we’re removing the parts of the model that play with readers and provoke them, and instead the model is a simple summary of users’ book preferences,” she said.
After publication, Marsh Alley said Fable instead decided to immediately remove the AI-generated 2024 Reading Summary and two other features that used AI.
For some users, adjusting the AI doesn’t feel like the right response. Fantasy and romance author AR Kaufer was appalled when he saw screenshots of some summaries on social media. “They need to say they’re going to abolish AI completely. And they need to issue a statement not just about AI, but with an apology to those affected,” Kaufer said. “This ‘apology’ in the thread comes across as insincere, as if the app is somehow excusing the racist/sexist/ableist quote by mentioning it was ‘just kidding’.” After this incident, Kaufer decided to delete his Fable account.
