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An Indian court has ordered an investigation into allegations that a public library in the southern state of Tamil Nadu purchased hundreds of books suspected of being generated using artificial intelligence. The controversy began after renowned novelist Perumal Murugan raised concerns regarding false information and questionable authorship within the collection of a newly opened library.
Court Order and Political Row
The Madras High Court has instructed the state’s anti-corruption agency to investigate the book purchases and freeze bank accounts tied to a publisher accused of supplying the materials. Tamil Nadu’s School Education Minister A Rajmohan described the allegations as potentially India’s first AI scam and stated that the probe would encompass purchases across other public libraries in the state. Rajmohan blamed the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party-led administration for ordering the books, warning that the state would seek to recover public funds if wrongdoing is found. The DMK rejected the accusations as politically motivated and joined calls for an investigation.
The controversy centers on the Periyar Arivulagam library in Coimbatore city, which was constructed for about 3 billion rupees ($34 million; £26 million) and inaugurated on October 16 by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay. Murugan, whose acclaimed novels include Pyre and One Part Woman, visited the library last month and wrote in an online magazine that nearly 1,800 books in the Tamil section came from a little-known publisher named Agal Vilakku Pathippagam. He noted unfamiliar author names, unusually high prices, and questionable International Standard Book Numbers.
Questionable Content and Publisher Addresses
Specific titles sparked immediate scrutiny, including a 300-page book priced at 1,445 rupees that described the classical moral text Naladiyar as a Tamil poet and philosopher. Another book incorrectly attributed the ancient Tamil poem Madurai Kanchi to a wrong author. BBC News reported that it remains unclear whether AI was actually used to produce any of the disputed volumes. Similar questions emerged over a book found in a Madurai public library titled Democracy and People’s Rights in the Contemporary World, which named prominent economist Jean Drèze as its author. Drèze told The Hindu newspaper that he did not write the book, indicating his name was used without permission.
BBC Tamil visited a Chennai address linked to Agal Vilakku and another implicated publisher, Phoenix Publishing House, but found no visible business signs. A woman at the location confirmed that Agal Vilakku operated there, while proprietor Mohan declined to comment because the matter is before the courts.
Audits and Public Demands
The scandal has prompted more than 160 writers, researchers, artists, and publishers to sign a joint statement demanding an independent inquiry, the release of procurement records, and a comprehensive audit of library collections across Tamil Nadu. The group questioned how the questionable books bypassed expert committees, price negotiations, and multiple review levels.
The state government initiated an internal audit of public library collections. Rajmohan stated that 523 books have already been removed from the historic Connemara Public Library in Chennai following preliminary authenticity checks, and disputed texts have also been cleared from Periyar Arivulagam as anti-corruption officials inspect libraries and procurement records.
