Fiction in danger: British writers fear AI

Writers have deep concerns about the impact of generative AI on the future of fiction, including the fear of being completely replaced. This was revealed by a study by the University of Cambridge, based on a survey of writers and industry insiders in the United Kingdom, presented at the “Arts and Humanities Research Council” conference.

The research involved 258 novelists publishedie 74 industry insiders to assess how AI is seen and used. Just over half, 51%, of writers of fiction published in the UK believe that AI is likely to completely replace their work. fiction writers. The genre authors considered the most vulnerable were those of romance novels, with 66% of those interviewed describing themselves as “extremely threatened” and those of thrillers and mysteries, with 61% and 60%, respectively, showing their concern. Over a third, 39%, of writers have already taken a hit to their income due to generative AI, for example, due to the loss of non-creative freelance work such as copywriting. The large majority, 85%, expect their future income to be reduced by AI.

Despite the fears, the general sentiment is not against AI, with 80% of respondents agreeing that AI offers benefits across multiple industries. A third, 33%, of novelists use AI in their writing process, mostly for “non-creative” tasks such as searching for information or facts. The vast majority, at 97%, of novelists said they were “extremely negative” about using AI to write entire novels or even just short sections. The literary community raises urgent issues regarding copyright and cultural integrity. Nearly two-thirds, 59%, of writers say they know their work has been used to train large language models, LLMs, without permission or payment. The vast majority, 86%, of literary creatives prefer an “opt-in” principle, where authors grant permission and get paid before AI analyzes their works, over the “opt-out” model proposed by the UK government, which would allow AI companies to analyze texts unless authors explicitly request it.

There are fears that AI could lead to an increasingly bland and formulaic narrative, repurposing centuries of previous texts and exacerbating stereotypes. Many warn of a potential loss of originality and compromising the “magic” of the creative process, the “friction” and “pain” needed for a first draft. There is a fear of a loss of trust between writers and readers if the use of AI is not made public, with some publishers planning to place a “no AI” stamp on covers.