Let's build a big, ongoing, nuanced conversation around authors and AI

And not let it take up too much of our head space!

If you’re following both my Substacks you’ll realise that this isn’t my week for writing on Resilient Author, but I really wanted to jump in while the AI conversation is so hot, because I have some thoughts! You can expect bonus posts from me like this now and again, while there’s so much to talk about. I hope you enjoy this one. Let me know in the comments section below. And if you also read Story Matters, watch out for my new post there tomorrow on how our obsession with the fictional wealthy might be anaesthetising us to the bigger picture.

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Right now, we could spend all day listening to people talking about AI and speculating on where it’s leading us. I’ve heard far more prediction, possibility and panic than I have seen straightforward evidence of the extraordinary things AI is supposed to be capable of (although I realise it’s early days). And I have seen many examples of AI being underwhelming or just downright weird (e.g. the strange memes and videos of animals having a gazillion babies that are doing the rounds on Facebook).

However, if, like me, you’re old enough to remember the days when the internet felt like a curiosity, or when brick-sized mobile phones were a novelty, or when Facebook seemed mostly like a fun space to snoop on your old schoolfriends, then you’ll know what it’s like to watch a new technological development get bigger fast! And I think it’s safe to say that when we look back we’ll see that those things developed at snail’s pace compared to AI. It’s here already. And the big questions around its arrival are not only what it might do, and where it might take us, but what we’re prepared to accept.

And it’s been a bad start for authors. It’s truly criminal that our books were taken and used to train Large Language Models (LLMs) without our permission or any compensation. Dervla McTiernan spoke with great insight on possible ways we might move forward around this on her Instagram a few days ago.

dervlamctiernan

A post shared by @dervlamctiernan

I’m so grateful to listen to ideas like this about how we can build protocols and governance around these models to better protect ourselves. And I’m really glad that there are various lawsuits pushing back, too, but for most of us it is probably the case that as far as what’s already happened, the horse has bolted. We’re absolutely right to be furious, but I’ve watched a lot of people get outraged about things over the years and pour their heart and soul into a fight that gets them nowhere. In our fictional stories, a character with a passionate soul and a clear pursuit of justice often gets rewarded. In life, not so much - but this doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t fight for what we believe in, just that we have to stay clear-sighted and take really good care of ourselves while we do it.

So what comes next? Is AI a tool or a threat?

Right now, we’re in the ‘gold rush’ period of this new development, where people are swarming, hoping to make money. This includes some bad actors who have no real interest in putting their heart into writing for readers or building community. It also includes some traditional and self-published authors who are intrigued by the technology and what it might do for them. In both cases, a few will strike rich because of their early investment in the tech, and many others won’t. The market will suffer from oversaturation to the point that some types of books will become worthless. And it’s certainly uncomfortable watching people try to take advantage of the industry to make that quick buck, at the expense of the rest of us.

However, AI can’t share our decades of experience. Our personal stories. Our particular passions. Our curiosities. Or even the extent of our critical thinking. And it’s this that provides us with an incredible opportunity - because the antidote/balance to AI and machine-led productivity is human-led community and connection. This is something we’ve been sorely lacking since the internet developed and warped our sense of what connectivity can be. So why not use the advent of AI to try to turn this around? In this desperately polarised world, we need authors to be counterweights, and find ways to bring people together. If our key focus is worry about AI stealing our voices, doesn’t this belie our sense of uniqueness and originality? I think we need to be more confident in ourselves, and champion the assertion that human experience and insight still has a lot to offer, whatever the technology becomes capable of.

Any part of our industry that puts profit first isn’t going to excel in this scenario, but very few authors ultimately put money first - otherwise we wouldn’t do what we do. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t fight for a better industry that truly compensates authors for their talents - we seriously need to do this - but that’s a topic for another day. Nevertheless, authors are a unique breed, prepared to go through quite extensive hardship and uncertainty for the cause of championing words and ideas as bringing the highest possible value to all our lives. Now is the time to double down on that. We need to build communities with integrity and a commitment to promoting and purchasing human-authored stories rather than AI generated ones. We need to support and encourage readers in demanding accountability from both authors and the industry. We need to be prepared to show up and tell the truth about what we’re doing and how we interact with the technology - to let readers know how much the words they’re reading are our own, and how much was assisted by AI - and to explain why it’s imperative we all listen to fallible human ideas and experiences just as much as machine-generated ones.

This won’t happen if there’s a witch hunt. We can’t achieve this by turning on each other. Once we’ve had our say, even if we don’t like what someone else is up to, surely it’s better to double down on what we’re doing and put the proof into our pudding, so to speak, rather than spend time attacking the other side. And we also have to be prepared to listen to other views, and not to prejudge everything we see around AI as bad without a considered discussion, while always putting human rights and fairness at the forefront of our ideas.

Let’s also get real here. Authors are under the pump. In addition to writing, we are often our own contracts manager, publicist, admin assistant, CEO, sales rep, and much more. There might be ways that AI can become a supportive timesaver, and we need to have positive conversations around that without being ashamed or called out for strategically pressing the AI button. If AI assistance can prevent author burnout and support an easier writing process - allowing authors to spend more time on crafting their story - is that such a bad thing? It’s also a good idea for us to be aware of the different systems being used and developed just so we know what’s going on - whether we decide to use them or not. This is an entirely different scenario of usage than those trying to pump out a book every 2-5 days to make a fast buck.

Our profound strength as humans is that at the very core of us there’s an innate desire for connection. And so if there is a future audience for computer generated stories, there will also be those who crave stories that are born from human experience and hard work. These readers will want to support an author striving to do their very best work on a story that’s become an all-consuming passion, rather than a person feeding prompts into a machine. Let’s trust that there are plenty of people ready to help us, especially if we’re vocal about why it’s so important to keep reading human-authored stories.

We have the opportunity to rise here. Authors are not just writers. We are committed, curious thinkers. We put our hearts into everything we’re working on, and we go deep. And so we have this chance, right now, to be a leading, vocal group - and what we need all authors to do is what we do best. To share our ideas. Our wildest imaginings. Our deepest hopes and fears. Our individual ways of connecting. In whatever way works for us. We don’t have to suddenly become social media stars if we want to go all in on the writing. We don’t have to change our style of work. But what we could do is think carefully about what we want our careers and outreach (and the world of writing and publishing) to look like, and push harder for it. Do you have a secret hankering to start a podcast about your grandmother’s Second World War love letters? Do it! Or a deep desire to build a community around the kind of books you love? Start now! What if, in the words of poet June Jordan*, Alice Walker and many more, ‘We are the ones we have been waiting for’?

So if you’re feeling like a disenfranchised author right now, go straight to the mirror and take another look. There’s so much power and potential in you. In all of us. Whether it’s a big leap or a series of baby steps, listen to your heart, consult your strategy, and then make that next move.

And in the meantime, let’s keep a purposeful, proactive conversation going.

* This phrase has been used by many, but as far as I can find it was Jordan who coined it for her ‘Poem for South African Women’ during the apartheid movement.

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To delve further into this territory, I’m going to be posting a series of questions around on my Notes over the coming days and beyond, to give everyone the opportunity to share their thoughts - and I’ll be posting the same question in my Chat to add a more private and safe space to talk more about the different aspects of AI as needed. I’ll be jumping in as I can, but this is also key writing time for me so I will be making sure I’ve got my writing hours in first - so please forgive me if it takes me a little longer than usual to respond!