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AI and the Quantity and Usage of Creative Products: Have LLMs Boosted Creation of Valuable Books?

Author

Listed:
  • Imke Reimers
  • Joel Waldfogel

Abstract

Monthly book releases tripled from 2022 to late 2025 as LLMs diffused. While average book usage and quality – ratings received, sales ranks, and average star ratings – worsened, the surge in releases raised the number of modestly used books. AI-containing books are less used, and their rising share – topping half of 2025 releases – drives the overall decline. A nested logit calibration shows that AI books raised consumer surplus only modestly. Author selection accounts for most of the AI usage differential, and previously active authors have increased their releases in the LLM era while maintaining stable non-AI output.

Suggested Citation

  • Imke Reimers & Joel Waldfogel, 2026. "AI and the Quantity and Usage of Creative Products: Have LLMs Boosted Creation of Valuable Books?," NBER Working Papers 34777, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34777
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    Cited by:

    1. Yuyu Chen & Hongbin Li & Lingsheng Meng & Xinyao Qiu & Qingxu Yang, 2026. "Directional AI Advice: Experimental Evidence from Healthcare," Papers 2607.08706, arXiv.org.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure
    • L82 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Entertainment; Media

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