Melania Trump's memoir fuels bizarre ChatGPT conspiracy frenzy

When Melania Trump released her memoir last year, few expected it to spark an online frenzy. While it’s now common for authors to accompany their books with an audiobook, Melania opted for a high-tech twist: an AI-narrated version using her own voice.

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

That announcement alone raised eyebrows — but it’s what came next that’s fueling a strange wave of speculation.

Online forums, particularly on Reddit, are now buzzing with theories that ChatGPT may have generated parts of the memoir.

One line 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 flagged excerpt: "The crowd's ecstatic reaction was unforgettable, adding to the excitement of the visit."

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While there’s no evidence that the book was written using AI, that hasn’t stopped Redditors from sharing their unfiltered theories.

"You mean did her ghostwriter use ChatGPT as a ghostwriter? 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," one quipped, while another suggested: "Sounds like ChatGPT indeed."

Meanwhile, a third chimed in: "I think some of these screenshots have ChatGPT vibes and some of them don't." They went on to add that it "wouldn't be surprising though, a book like this is being sold by the name rather than the actual writing".

It's not the first time Melania's memoir has been discussed in this way. In fact, back in October, the Daily Show's Jordan Klepper roasted Melania over her 'ChatGPT memoir'.

Reading Melania’s memoir to the studio audience, Klepper shared an excerpt about “a private moment” between the former first lady and Donald Trump after he had just won the 2016 election.

The comedian – totally deadpan – read aloud a passage where Melania turned to her husband and said: “Congratulations. What an achievement. All those other people, and you won. You’re the president of the United States of America.”

According to Melania, 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.”

Since ChatGPT became widely accessible, countless writers and public figures have faced baseless accusations of AI authorship.

One unexpected casualty? The em dash. Though it’s been a staple of English prose since at least the 1830s, its frequent appearance in AI-generated text has turned it into an unlikely red flag, leaving human writers defensively justifying their punctuation choices.

It's not the first conspiracy surrounding Melania to emerge over recent times. Melania's relationship with husband and US president Trump has long been subject to speculation, and the conspiracy theory that she has a “fake” or “body double” returned earlier this year.

Indy100 reached out to the White House for comment

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