AI in writing - is it ethical?
I’ve noticed a steep rise of AI generated stories in Wattpad - some don’t explicitly say so, but it is easy to tell that some books are AI generated. I want to let you know my thoughts about this, as someone who studies AI as part of my degree in uni, and is also a Wattpad writer.
Do I agree with using AI to write? No.
Do I agree with using AI to ASSIST writing? Absolutely.
There is a HUGE difference.
The magic of being an author is discovering your own writing technique and being able to tweak and individually adjust your story to your own ideas. That is why books are so entertaining! Every single author has their own writing quirks, styling, and interests. I find that amazing!
Unfortunately, many Wattpad writers are falling down the rabbit hold of using AI to write books. It is VERY obvious to see if something is AI generated, and many fics I’ve read are over 50% AI generated. AI writing is dull, lifeless, and REPETITIVE. It destroys your ideas and ruins your creativity. It can also be slightly insulting to other authors if you claim AI writing as your own, but I will save that for another day.
Now, what do I mean by using it to ASSIST you? I use AI to look up synonyms and definitions, and very occasionally rephrase sentences if I cannot pinpoint the exact order of words to ensure clarity. Using it as a way to ASSIST your writing is perfectly fine! Use it to look up definitions, check for grammar mistakes etc etc. Many pro authors and mangakas do this a lot!!
To sum it up: Use AI as a tool within your arsenal of other amazing writing techniques to help you. DO NOT use it as a machine to do the work for you.
If you want to use AI to write, then PLEASE label your book as AI generated. It’s ok to use AI to write your books but ONLY as long as you label it as AI generated.
Thank you.
