Epic AI Fails in the Book Industry: The Pumpkin Spice Café Spanish Translation
Epic AI fails… what’s new? Not long ago, in our article AI for Book Translations, we addressed this polemic trend in the hopes of shedding some light on the aspects that few were acknowledging.
It is no surprise that AI has taken the book industry by storm, promising faster translations, streamlined content creation, and cost-effective publishing solutions. But what happens when AI-generated books miss the mark? From disastrous translations to poorly written novels, AI has produced some spectacular failures that have left readers frustrated and publishers scrambling to fix the damage.
In this new section, we’ll explore some of the most shocking AI missteps in the book world so far—stories of botched literary translations, AI-generated books that backfired, and the unexpected consequences of relying too heavily on automation. Whether you’re an author, translator, or book lover, these cautionary tales reveal why human expertise is still essential in publishing.
And what better way to kick off this section than with one of the major epic AI fails or, shall we say, disasters of 2024?
HarperCollins’ approach to using AI for the Spanish translation of Laurie Gilmore’s The Pumpkin Spice Café: Café con aroma a calabaza
Laurie Gilmore’s small-town romance novel has gained great popularity since its release. Among other achievements, the book has:
• become TikTok Book Shop of the Year 2024
• been featured in mainstream media
• reached the #1 bestseller list on The Sunday Times and USA Today
Furthermore, both critics and readers have praised the book for its cosy atmosphere and engaging storytelling. People Magazine noted that it “gives off the same level of endorphins as taking a sip of an actual pumpkin spice latte,” highlighting its comforting and enjoyable narrative.
The novel’s blend of a picturesque small-town setting, relatable characters, and a heartwarming romance has resonated with readers, contributing to its significant popularity.
But why did the translation fall short if the novel was so successful and widely popular in its home market?
Earlier, in a September 2024 interview with Spanish Newspaper La Vanguardia, HarperCollins’ CEO, Brian Murray, admitted to using AI book translation for some books as “the market is too small to afford a translator”. Additionally, he mentioned that in some markets (like Germany), there is a scarcity of literary translators, causing long waiting times. Nevertheless, he believes they will use translators in the future, with AI doing the first draft. He defended this practice by adding that with the correspondingly lower production time and cost, HarperCollins would be able to translate a lot more books. Lastly, Murray said the publisher will always use human translators throughout for the best literary authors.
Unsurprisingly, the interview in itself sparked concern among Spanish-speaking readers, with some wondering if this would be the beginning of a succession of epic AI fails.
In light of the big publisher’s take on using AI in the production of books, readers promptly noticed the absence of a translator in Gilmore’s book credits. And it wasn’t long before they publicly denounced it on social media, tagging the publisher and demanding explanations.
After assuring that HarperCollins would never use AI technologies to translate the best literary authors, the prominent publisher used AI to expedite the release and reduce costs of the Spanish translation of the widely popular The Pumpkin Spice Café. Yet, the Spanish-speaking market doesn’t lack talented professionals nor have particularly high translation costs. Unfortunately, this strategy led to several issues:
Quality Concerns:
Many readers reported that the Spanish translation lacked the nuanced understanding of cultural references and idiomatic expressions present in the original text. The AI translation failed to capture the cosy, small-town charm and the “cosy kink” elements integral to the story’s appeal. Consequently, it resulted in a reading experience that felt disjointed and unengaging.
From a literary translator’s perspective, small-town tales especially call for the human touch of a translator: recreating the tone, describing the cosy setting that feels like home, capturing the emotional depth and chemistry, preserving the warm and comforting feeling in the narration, ensuring natural dialogue and humour, and reproducing all the small-town inhabitants’ quirks.
It would seem that the logic behind using AI to translate a small-town romance novel and expecting to conquer the hearts of a foreign audience is flawed.
Reader Backlash:
The subpar translation quality led to negative reviews and dissatisfaction among Spanish-speaking readers. Notably, many felt that the essence of the story was lacking, and the characters’ personalities did not resonate as they did in the original. Furthermore, many went on to express their feelings of being scammed and their broad discontent on the publisher’s social media.
| User | Spanish comment | Translation |
|---|---|---|
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Traducido por la propia editorial. Bonita manera de referirse a una IA y a la burda estrategia de sustituir a traductores humanos por una maldita máquina. |
Translated by the publisher itself. Nice way to refer to an AI and to the crude strategy of replacing human translators with a damn machine. |
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Qué pena lo de “la traducción”. Lo leeré en inglés. |
Such a shame about “the translation”. I will read it in English then. |
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Me sale más barato comprarlo en inglés y usar la IA yo misma para traducirlo a que vosotros me cobréis 20 pavos por hacer lo mismo, |
It is cheaper to buy it in English and use AI to translate it myself than to pay you 20 bucks to do the same. |
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Iba a comprarlo, hasta que vi quién es el “traductor”. |
I was going to buy it, but then I saw who the “translator” was… |
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Obviamente si está traducido por IA me lo descargaré en vez de comprarlo. Si no pagáis traductores, no pago libros. Así de simple. |
Obviously, since it is translated with AI, I will download it for free instead of buying it. If you are not going to pay translators, then I will not pay for your books. It’s as simple as that. |
A New Normal?
Not only did the backlash affect the book’s reception, but it also tarnished HarperCollins’ reputation. The reliance on AI for literary translation was perceived as a cost-cutting measure that compromised quality, losing readers and authors’ trust.
Following this, many readers started paying closer attention to the books’ credits before making a purchase, afraid of being scammed. Moreover, they took to social media to vent their frustrations and let HarperCollins know that they refused to continue reading such nonsense.
Translation of the reviewer’s message to HarperCollins Ibérica:
“I got a copy of Mister Hockey via Kindle, and when I started to read it, I noticed the translation was not too good… There were too many inconsistencies, phrasing that made no sense and literal translations that didn’t sound natural. I have checked your website and realised there is no translator acknowledged. Therefore, I understand it is an AI translation.
I have read almost 20% of the book, and it is impossible to read because nothing makes sense. I am very sorry, but I will abandon reading the book and won’t be writing a review.”
Author's Silence
As for Laurie Gilmore, she has not made any public statement regarding the matter, nor has she addressed it in any official capacity. However, readers would love to know how involved she was in the decision-making process regarding her foreign editions.
Financial Implications:
Potentially, the negative reception of a book poorly translated with AI could incur additional costs to rectify the situation. HarperCollins may now have to commission human translators to retranslate the book, manage public relations to address the controversy and implement marketing campaigns to restore the book’s and the publisher’s image in the Spanish-speaking market.
Whether something will be done to rectify the damage done, however, remains to be seen. Currently, no public information indicates that HarperCollins Ibérica has taken any specific actions to address concerns regarding the translation, nor have they responded to the many upset readers on social media. At the time of writing, the publisher lists itself as the translator on its official website.
The Irreplaceable Value of Human Translators in Literary Translation
Undoubtedly, the AI translation failure of The Pumpkin Spice Café serves as a cautionary tale for authors and publishers alike. While AI can assist in many areas, it lacks the nuance, cultural awareness, and emotional depth required for literary translation. Certainly, books are more than just words—they carry heart, voice, and storytelling essence, all of which can be lost in machine-generated translations.
Thus, for authors looking to expand into foreign markets, there is no shortcut—investing in a skilled human translator is the key to success. After all, a well-translated book respects the integrity of the original story, connects deeply with new readers, and builds credibility. Besides, it enhances an author’s international reputation.
In conclusion, by prioritising quality over shortcuts, authors can conquer new audiences, boost sales, and create lasting literary impact—ensuring that their stories are loved and appreciated across languages and cultures.
Ultimately, we can only hope we won’t be seeing more of these epic AI fails in the future…
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