The latest Warhammer 40,000 audiobook, Robert Rath's "The Wicked and The Warped," includes a spoken warning from narrator Richard Reed against using the recording for artificial intelligence training. This move by Games Workshop, known for its strong opposition to AI in content development, directly addresses the growing concerns around AI models being trained on copyrighted material without permission.
The warning, delivered at the end of the audiobook, states: "This recording is copyrighted to Games Workshop 2026. All rights reserved. May not be used or reproduced in any manner for text and datamining activities, or developing or training artificial intelligence models or systems." This is reportedly the first instance of such a warning being read aloud by a Black Library narrator, though similar written warnings are prominently displayed on Games Workshop's websites, including the Black Library's official site.
This audible caution aligns with Games Workshop's established anti-AI policy. The company previously banned AI in its content production and design processes in January, with CEO Kevin Rountree reiterating in July that no AI was being used in product design or IP creation to protect the integrity of their intellectual property. Rountree also noted that "human errors" in marketing depictions were investigated to ensure no AI had been involved, emphasizing adherence to internal policies.
The broader industry context includes reports of AI companies training models on vast quantities of books without explicit consent. Recent investigations have highlighted practices such as Amazon scanning and destroying books for data and Anthropic's "Project Panama," which involved shredding physical books for AI training. Legal challenges are also ongoing, with authors suing OpenAI over the use of their works to train AI models.
Evidence suggests that Warhammer books may already be among the data used for AI training. An investigation by The Atlantic in March 2025 found that Meta allegedly used pirated books, including works by Black Library authors, to train its AI. Furthermore, unlicensed Warhammer 40,000 books with apparent AI-generated covers and text have appeared on various retail platforms.
Games Workshop's CEO has acknowledged that AI is automatically included in some third-party software, making it challenging to completely eliminate its presence outside of their direct control. Rountree stated this is something the company must "potentially live with and monitor," while asserting that their business performance remains rooted in human effort and development.