NEWS · COMPANIES · #2720
Macmillan staff say publisher celebrated then discontinued workplace AI assistant NOA
Macmillan introduced an internal AI chatbot called NOA (built by Chaptr and backed by parent Holtzbrinck) with an in‑office launch in January 2024; employees reported it was unreliable, potentially offensive, and cautioned that it could hallucinate. In October 2025 Macmillan notified staff that Chaptr would sunset NOA, and company representatives say they are using Google Gemini for some business purposes while disputing aspects of employees' accounts.
KEY POINTS
- Macmillan introduced an internal AI chatbot called NOA (built by Chaptr and backed by parent Holtzbrinck) with an in‑office launch in January 2024; employees reported it was unreliable, potentially offensive, and cautioned that it could hallucinate.
- In October 2025 Macmillan notified staff that Chaptr would sunset NOA, and company representatives say they are using Google Gemini for some business purposes while disputing aspects of employees' accounts.
- The episode highlights tensions in the publishing industry over workplace AI adoption — including employee pushback, vendor privacy assurances, and rapid shifts to external large‑model services — amid broader legal and commercial disputes about AI use in publishing.
WHY IT MATTERS
The episode highlights tensions in the publishing industry over workplace AI adoption — including employee pushback, vendor privacy assurances, and rapid shifts to external large‑model services — amid broader legal and commercial disputes about AI use in publishing.