HarperCollins sent an offer of $2,500 for a three-year license to feed Kibblesmith’s book to an unspecified “large tech company” AI.

HarperCollins claimed that “several hundred authors” had already agreed to the deal. As Kibblesmith’s agent put it: “there is concern that these AI models might one day make us all obsolete.”

Kibblesmith declined, calling the offer “abominable.” He told the AV Club regarding HarperCollins: “It seems like they think they’re cooked, and they’re chasing short money while they can.”