IWSG--Ghostwriters and AI

The year is winding down. I hope you're having a good fall (or spring, if you're in the Southern Hemisphere). I hope you're also ready for another Inscure Writer's Support Group post. Learn more about them on their website and Facebook.

 Our hosts this month are Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Liza at Middle Passages, J.H. Moncrieff, and Jemima Pett.

I'm not sure if the question for October was meant to tie into the spooky season or not, but it's an interesting one: Many people are calling for writers who use AI to disclose it. Most who employ ghostwriters do not admit it -- do you think authors who use ghostwriters should have to disclose that, too?

I'm not personally familiar with ghostwriting, but even a simple Internet search shows that it's a complex topic. Ghostwriters (or just ghosts) are used in other creative fields such as music or art, and this has been going on for hundreds of years, if not longer. Celebrities may employ ghostwriters to help them write memoirs, but it would be unethical for a student to hire a ghostwriter to write a class paper for them. Publishers sometimes use ghostwriters to "help" big name authors put out more books. There are situations where ghostwriters may actually get a byline or other type of acknowledgement for their work. At the very least, ghostwriters are paid for their efforts, and they have the choice as to whether or not to accept a particular project.

In contrast, AI and large language models are based on writing samples that were stolen without the authors' knowledge, consent, or compensation. (I've mentioned before on this blog that I have proof my work, including my own blog, has been fed into AI models, and I will die mad on that hill.) Like humans, AI is also prone to bias and can make mistakes, though I would trust a trained researcher over AI. 

I've been considering this question from the perspective of the true author, but I think this question is meant to consider what's fair to the reader. Ultimately, I do prefer transparency about authorship. Writing is a skill, and being able to write a book says something about a person. If I buy a book because it's by a certain author, I want the named author to be the one who wrote the words, not someone who is very good at imitating their style. If a celebrity hires a ghostwriter, I'll have a different impression of them depending on whether or not I know they hired someone. But I would still prefer a person's writing over AI's.

 How do you feel about ghostwriting or AI writing? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

 

IWSG: Anti-AI

 

 Well, we made it to September and another post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Learn more about them on their website and Facebook page. 

Our hosts for this month are Kim Lajevardi, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Diedre Knight. 

Here's our question for this month: What are your thoughts on using AI, such as ChatGPT, Raptor, and others with your writing? Would you use it for research, storybible, or creating outlines/beats?

We've discussed AI for the IWSG before (according to my blog, in October 2023 and March 2024), though I'm sure not only the membership may have changed but also people's attitudes towards AI. My attitude hasn't changed; I'm still irate that Google used this blog to train its AI without my knowledge, consent, and certainly without compensation. See the third line in the photo below:

 

 

 

I have another screenshot showing some of my books were at one point listed in a pirated books site that may have been used to train other AI models. (They might not still be there, which is why I'm not posting the screenshot.) 

 

While I acknowledge AI has been useful for scientific research, I don't think it should be used for creative work. It's a water and energy hog, it takes support from creative humans, and it returns predictive (or predictable) results by design. Earlier this year, I read a cozy mystery that I think was written by AI. (Unfortunately, I can't find the title or supposed author at the moment, as it doesn't look like I added it to Goodreads.) It was very repetitive, and the scenes were out of order. I don't think I would have finished it if I hadn't been on an airplane. I'm a pantser, not a plotter, but even if I did write out my story bible and outlines, I would do it without AI. I hate how it's being shoehorned into sites and software where it's difficult or impossible to turn off. Will I change my mind about AI in a few years? Unlikely, but you never know.

 

Feel free to leave your thoughts about AI in the comments--if you're human! 

 

IWSG: AI and Writing

Welcome to the March 2024 post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Learn more about them on their website and Facebook page.

Our hosts this month are Kristina Kelly, Miffie Seideman, Jean Davis, and Liz@Middle Passages.

Here's our question for the month: Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing? 

The last time we discussed AI for the IWSG, I posted a photo showing how Google had mined this copyrighted blog for its AI. I was neither credited nor compensated. Granted, my blog was a minuscule contribution, but it's the principle of the thing. AI has been developed using stolen intellectual property, and I personally don't believe anyone should support it or the capitalists foisting it on us heedless of the human consequences. 

As for AI's impact on creative writing, I don't like it. (No surprise there.) AI still lags human creativity when it comes to novelty. Using AI for creative writing demeans the process. Yes, it can be frustrating staring at a blank page or having to discard words you worked hard to write, but but without the frustrations, there are no rewards to writing. I'm always thrilled when my subconscious comes up with scenes that connect in ways I didn't intentionally plan. Writing "the end" is a fantastic high, as is hearing from readers who connect with your work. On some of my social media sites, I see memes circulating that readers don't want to read something no one cared enough about to write. AI can be trained to imitate an author's voice, but it can't develop a voice of its own. All creative people should stand together and support each other in our creative endeavors. We don't just do it for money; we do it to become the best versions of ourselves.

 How do you feel about AI? Feel free to share your thoughts below.

IWSG: AI Stole This Blog

It's hard to believe October is here when it's so warm where I live. The calendar still changes even if the seasons seem to be at a standstill, which means it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group post. Learn more about the IWSG on their website and Facebook page if you're not already familiar with them. 

Our hosts this month are Natalie Aguirre, Kim Lajevardi, Debs Carey, Gwen Gardner, Patricia Josephine, and Rebecca Douglass. 

Our question for October is a controversial one: The topic of AI writing has been heavily debated across the world. According to various sources, generative AI will assist writers, not replace them. What are your thoughts?

As you may have guessed from the title of this post, I'm not a fan of AI. Please refer to the photo below:

If you look at the third line, you'll see this blog was harvested for Google's database for training AI. This was done without my knowledge or consent. There's a copyright notice at the very bottom of this page, so harvesting my words this way should be a copyright violation. Even if this blog is a minute part of the AI database, Google will profit from my free labor, and I'll receive neither recognition or compensation. I know other writers whose entire books were harvested for other AI engines. (So far, I've found no proof my books were affected.) 

Artificial intelligence may be a tool, in theory neutral until used. However, in a world of late-stage capitalism, this tool comes equipped with original sin. The creators of AI steal other people's work in an attempt to replace human writers and artists for profit. AI work has flooded KPD and magazine portals, making it even more difficult for humans to gain recognition. If you consider creativity the peak human endeavor, then leave it for humans. We don't need AI to give us ideas when there so many ideas out there, waiting for the right mind to notice them. And while it might not always be easy to put those ideas into words, it's the struggle that makes writing a calling. We all need to demand tech companies stop embedding AI into everything while making it nearly impossible to escape. We need to demand better regulation of this industry. If we don't, we will lose ourselves.

What are your thoughts on using AI? Whether or not you agree with me, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.