Melania Trump Memoir AI Ghostwriter Conspiracy

An AI Audiobook Ignites Online Frenzy

When Melania Trump released her memoir last year, few could have predicted it would ignite a bizarre online frenzy. While audiobooks are a standard companion to modern book releases, Melania chose a decidedly high-tech path: an AI-narrated version featuring a digital clone of her own voice.

"Let the future of publishing begin," she announced on X (formerly Twitter). "I am honored to bring you Melania – The AI Audiobook – narrated entirely using artificial intelligence in my own voice."

That announcement alone was enough to raise some eyebrows, but it was the book's actual text that would fuel a strange new wave of speculation.

Did ChatGPT Ghostwrite the Memoir?

Online forums, particularly on Reddit, are now buzzing with theories that the popular AI tool ChatGPT may have been used to generate portions of the memoir.

Skeptical readers have been combing through the book, flagging passages they believe sound robotic and formulaic.

The 'Evidence': Passages Under Scrutiny

One line frequently cited as suspicious reads: "It was a humbling experience to engage with such a revered figure on a personal level, emphasizing the importance of building relationships through genuine interactions."

Another excerpt that drew criticism was: "The crowd's ecstatic reaction was unforgettable, adding to the excitement of the visit."

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While there is no hard evidence that the book was written using AI, that hasn't slowed down the unfiltered theories from Redditors.

"You mean did her ghostwriter use ChatGPT as a ghostwriter?" one user quipped. "Those passages certainly have the 'pretentious robot with a broken thesaurus' scent of ChatGPT, but it wouldn’t surprise me that someone would use it in a course of writing a several hundred page book."

Another simply commented: "Sounds like ChatGPT indeed."

A third offered a more measured take: "I think some of these screenshots have ChatGPT vibes and some of them don't." They added that AI assistance "wouldn't be surprising though, a book like this is being sold by the name rather than the actual writing."

Comedians and Critics Weigh In

This isn't the first time Melania's memoir has faced this kind of scrutiny. Back in October, The Daily Show's Jordan Klepper famously roasted Melania over her 'ChatGPT memoir'.

Reading from the book to his studio audience, Klepper shared what was meant to be a private, intimate moment between the former first lady and Donald Trump just after he won the 2016 election.

With a completely deadpan delivery, Klepper read aloud the passage where Melania turns to her husband and says: “Congratulations. What an achievement. All those other people, and you won. You’re the president of the United States of America.”

According to the memoir, Trump replied: “And you’re the first lady. Good luck.”

“I’ve got to wipe away a tear on that one,” Klepper joked. “That is a heartwarming moment that definitely wasn’t created by ChatGPT.”

The Wider Trend of AI Accusations

Since ChatGPT became widely available, countless public figures and professional writers have had to fend off baseless accusations of AI authorship.

One of the most unexpected casualties of this new paranoia has been the em dash. Though the punctuation mark has been a staple of English writing since the 1800s, its frequent appearance in AI-generated text has turned it into an unlikely red flag, forcing human writers to defensively justify their stylistic choices.

This is not the first conspiracy to emerge around Melania Trump in recent times. Her relationship with her husband has long been a subject of public speculation, and the theory that she uses a "fake" body double resurfaced earlier this year.