Short answer: Yes. KDP's content guidelines do not ban AI images. But you must tell KDP about AI-generated content when you publish, and this includes cover and interior art. You do not need to disclose AI-assisted edits to your own work. In the US, art made only from a prompt is not protected by copyright.
Below, we quote the KDP rule word for word. We explain what it means for a picture book, what US copyright law says, and how to check that an illustrator's work is human-made.
Amazon sets this rule in its KDP Content Guidelines, in the section "Artificial intelligence (AI) content". The rule says:
"We require you to inform us of AI-generated content (text, images, or translations) when you publish a new book or make edits to and republish an existing book through KDP. AI-generated images include cover and interior images and artwork. You are not required to disclose AI-assisted content."
The page also says:
"You are responsible for verifying that all AI-generated and/or AI-assisted content adheres to all content guidelines, including by complying with all applicable intellectual property rights."
So KDP does not ban AI images. It asks you to be honest about them, and it makes you responsible for the content.
We checked this page on 13 October 2026. Amazon can change its rules, so read the page before you publish.
KDP uses two terms. Each one has its own rule.
| AI-generated | AI-assisted | |
|---|---|---|
| KDP's definition | "text, images, or translations created by an AI-based tool" | You "created the content yourself, and used AI-based tools to edit, refine, error-check, or otherwise improve that content" |
| Do you tell KDP? | Yes | No: "It is not necessary to inform us of the use of such tools or processes." |
| Picture book example | You type a prompt and a tool makes the illustration. | An illustrator draws the art. Then a tool helps to fix a small error. |
Edits do not change the label. KDP says content made by an AI tool "is considered 'AI-generated,' even if you applied substantial edits afterwards."
Ideas are a different case. KDP says that if you used an AI tool "to brainstorm and generate ideas, but ultimately created the text or images yourself," the content is AI-assisted, not AI-generated.
What about human-made art? If a person drew all the illustrations, they are not AI-generated. There is nothing to disclose to KDP for that art.
This part is about US law. It is general information, not legal advice. For your own book, ask a lawyer.
In March 2023, the US Copyright Office published guidance on works that contain AI-generated material. Key points:
What this means for a picture book: you can usually protect your own text. Illustrations made from a prompt alone are not protected. Other people may be free to copy those images. This matters if you plan merchandise, a series or a recurring character.
The Office also says that some works mix AI material with real human authorship. In those works, the human parts can be protected. The Office decides case by case.
Rules differ between publishers. Always read the submission guidelines. For example, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers says: "Please note that we do not accept text or art generated by AI."
The most reliable practical way to check that an illustrator did not use AI is to ask for the layered source files (for example, Photoshop PSD files with separate layers). These show how the artwork was built.
What layered files show. A guide on proving artwork is human-made lists what a useful source file may contain: "rough sketches beneath cleaner drawing layers", "separate line, color, shadow, and highlight layers", and "revisions and abandoned approaches".
What they do not prove. The same guide warns: "a layered file is not conclusive by itself. Layers can be constructed around imported or generated images." DrawDog agrees: "a layered file can be built after the fact." So use the files as a practical check together with other evidence, not as proof.
Ask for sketches at each stage. Work-in-progress images are a second check: "the thumbnail, the rough, the mid-render with half a face still flat, the finished piece" (DrawDog). These are strongest when they come with dates you can trust. DrawDog gives the example of "a message thread with the client where you shared the rough on Tuesday." In a book project, you get this naturally if you approve sketches before color, page by page.
Agree on it in writing. The Artillerist guide suggests that you "define AI expectations in writing before the project starts", including "what evidence will be delivered". Ask before you sign which files you will receive.
Do not rely on AI detectors. The guide says a detector result is "at most, a preliminary signal—not proof", and it "can produce false positives and false negatives".
| If you… | Tell KDP? | Copyright on the art (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Use images made from prompts | Yes (AI-generated) | Not protected; must be disclaimed if you register |
| Draw the art yourself and use AI only to fix it | No (AI-assisted) | Your human work can be protected |
| Hire a human illustrator | No | Depends on your contract with the illustrator |
At US Illustrations, our illustrations are 100% human-made, with no AI. Human-made art does not need KDP's AI disclosure. When you hire us, clients get full ownership of the art by default, and the contract states this clearly.
You can see how we work on How We Work. Prices are on our pricing page. Before you choose an illustrator, read our guide on how to hire a children's book illustrator.
No. KDP's content guidelines do not ban them. You must tell KDP about AI-generated images when you publish or republish a book.
Yes. KDP says: "AI-generated images include cover and interior images and artwork."
No. KDP calls this AI-assisted: "You are not required to disclose AI-assisted content."
Yes. KDP says it "is considered 'AI-generated,' even if you applied substantial edits afterwards."
In the US, your human-written text can be protected. Illustrations made only from a prompt cannot. See the Copyright Office guidance. This is not legal advice.
Ask for layered source files, for example Photoshop PSD files with separate layers, and for sketches at each stage. This is the most reliable practical check, but it is not proof.
See your character drawn by a person, in your chosen style, before you commit. Our illustrations are 100% human-made.
Ready to see your story in color?
