Vellum removes AI assistant feature after authors object

Vellum, the Mac-based book-formatting software used by thousands of independent authors, removed its Automation feature in version 4.2.1 within days of introducing it after strong objections to its connection with external AI assistants.

The company announced on Nov. 5 that it would withdraw the feature. In a subsequent post, the three-person team said it had read emails, Threads posts and “a plethora of emojis”, and acknowledged that the announcement had upset many authors. It said it had underestimated how strongly users would object to Vellum working with AI assistants at all.

Automation was designed for publishing administration rather than AI-generated writing. It allowed a compatible digital assistant running on a Mac to connect directly to Vellum and guide tasks including updating book details, revising back matter, applying fixes across multiple books, reformatting a series and assembling box sets.

Vellum said it had developed the tool after hearing from established customers managing dozens or hundreds of books, including translations and special editions, who wanted help with repetitive work. The company stressed that it had chosen not to build AI directly into Vellum because it knew many authors had concerns about the technology.

Reaction was not uniformly negative. Vellum said some authors were fundamentally opposed to Automation while others were enthusiastic about its possibilities. Vinci Books, an early tester that manages thousands of titles, called the feature “revolutionary” for its production department. But feedback discussed on the Literature & Latte forum indicated that a majority of Vellum users were strongly against AI integration.

Version 4.2.1 removed Automation entirely and was available through Vellum’s Check for Updates function. The company described the reversal as the best decision it could make, saying it did not take authors’ trust for granted.

The now-withdrawn feature had required a Vellum Press licence and macOS 14, Sonoma, or later. Vellum Press, which supports unlimited ebooks and paperbacks, costs $390 before GST; its ebook-only licence costs $310 before GST.