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Storytel has joined the growing trend of integrating AI into audiobook publishing. The company recently unveiled its first AI-authored audiobook, marking a significant step in the evolution of storytelling. However, the journey was far from smooth.
The project began with the creation of an AI author named Rosy Lett, conceptualized as an AI writer with 22 years of experience. Rosy was tasked with writing a novel about love and relationships in a world increasingly influenced by AI. The book was written in multiple languages, including Swedish, Danish, Finnish, and English.
Using generative AI tools, Rosy successfully completed her novel. However, her initial drafts were described as a “generic science fiction soap opera” with significant plot inconsistencies. This led to an extensive mentoring process to improve Rosy’s writing, culminating in a decision to condense the work into shorter stories.
The result was a collection titled New Horizon, composed of four short stories set in the fictional New Horizon City. These audiobooks are now available in multiple languages on Storytel in Sweden and Finland and Mofibo in Denmark, as of January 23, 2025.
Helena Gustafsson, Chief Content Officer at Storytel, remarked that working with Rosy was akin to guiding an inexperienced debut author. While AI proved useful for planning and structuring content, it fell short in delivering innovative storytelling. Gustafsson emphasized that human creativity remains irreplaceable, as significant manual intervention was needed to refine Rosy’s work.
This experiment highlights the current limitations of AI in creative writing, particularly as projects become more complex, but also showcases its potential in complementing human creativity.
Source: Storytel Publishes First Audiobook Written by AI
