Macmillan Staff Say Publisher Celebrated Workplace AI Assistant That Was Later Shut Down

A news report details internal friction at major book publishers regarding workplace artificial intelligence tools, highlighting a defunct Macmillan chatbot and broader tensions with bestselling authors.

The Launch and Demise of NOA

According to staff at Macmillan Publishers' Lower Manhattan headquarters, the company promoted an internal AI chatbot named “NOA” (short for No Ordinary Assistant) in January 2024. Employees recalled festive office decorations welcoming the tool, which was developed by the German software company Chaptr, backed by Macmillan parent company Holtzbrinck.

While marketed as a closed-loop enterprise tool for tasks like drafting copy and marketing research, employees described the tool as unhelpful and unreliable. In October 2025, staff learned through a company-wide email that Chaptr would sunset NOA. Following the tool's closure, leadership began exploring Google Gemini integration for general business use, though a company communications executive stated there was no directive to use Gemini for the core publishing process or evaluating agent submissions.

Industry-Wide AI Friction and Author Concerns

Across the "Big Five" publishers, reports indicate executives have encouraged internal AI adoption even as some of those same corporate groups face copyright lawsuits against AI developers. At Penguin Random House, workers reported encouragement to use ChatGPT Enterprise during learning sessions, though employees noted they avoided it for daily tasks due to workflow challenges.

Meanwhile, several bestselling authors expressed strong concerns regarding publisher AI usage:

• Trust and Disclosure: Writers argue that AI adoption undermines trust and requested mandatory disclosure regarding when and how AI is used in publishing.
• Marketing Errors: One bestselling author reported receiving promotional copy containing AI-hallucinated quotes attributed to their book.
• Alternative Models: Tensions over technology and cost-cutting have led some prominent creators to reconsider traditional publishing arrangements in favor of independent models.

Verification and Practical Implications

Readers looking to verify claims regarding publisher technology policies can review official statements from publishing houses or monitor public statements from literary organizations and authors regarding copyright agreements and contract negotiations.