I don't think there's a comparison between the AI book scraping and the generated covers.
One is using a tool to create a new artwork, one is using a tool for plagiarism.
One is using a tool to create a new artwork, one is using a tool for plagiarism.
Is it "new artwork", though? That's the big question. I would say both are tools for plagiarism.
And now, DeviantArt is collapsing, as artists flee, and content is being dominated by automated generative AI spamming out content.
Now, I understand the frustration of someone able to see something in their head and is unable to put it into drawing. Storywriting is already an all-consuming discipline … but so is anything creative.
Considering the time and effort that goes into writing a book, if you value your own time, and work, this should be a no-brainer.
Fast-forward 5 years, and our attitude might be:
Hmmm, so you added an AI-generated image to your AI-generated slop "post", everybody knows "those" pages. Not gonna waste my time here.