How Artificial Intelligence Is Increasing Livelihood Threats Among Writers

 

 

Artificial Intelligence, the more you know, the less it will be. AI is always ready to fascinate you as it is more advanced, complex and challenging than other scientific discoveries.

Today it is poised to replace all human cognitive functions. Science, engineering, Politics, epidemics, climate change, agriculture, there is hardly any field left which does not come under the purview of AI. The field of writing has also not remained untouched by this. Gradually, it is becoming a true story instead of being a science fiction.

Although the evolution of AI in the literary world may come as a surprise to readers; but for a vast number of fiction writers, artificial intelligence is threatening their livelihood and the very idea of creativity. 

Yes, given the growing capabilities of these advanced systems, authors see AI as a threat; Now a large number of artists are feeling that their work is being used indiscriminately through AI without their knowledge or permission, but they are unable to do anything. This fear is an underlying terror that is being replaced by non-human intelligence. It may also increase the risk of copyright of their writings (copyright law protects the author's work in relation to his or her economic and moral rights).

Recently, more than 10,000 authors including literary luminaries like Margaret Atwood, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Philip Pullman, have endorsed an open letter from the Authors Guild demanding that artificial Intelligence (AI) companies respect their rights and seek explicit  permission before utilizing their copyrighted work and compensate them appropriately.

The Authors Guild is America’s largest professional organization for writers. The letter presents three demands to generative AI leaders: “Obtain permission for use of our copyrighted material”; “Compensate writers fairly for the past and ongoing use of our works”, and “Compensate writers fairly for the use of our works in AI output, whether or not the outputs are infringing under current law”. The movement urges major AI companies such as OpenAI, Alphabet, Meta, StabilityAI, and IBM to heed their calls for change.

Here is an example of  two North American authors, Mona Awad, and Paul Tremblay,who have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming infringement of copyright law. This legal action sent a powerful message to the AI community, reinforcing that authors’ creative works should not be exploited without proper consent and compensation.

According to the Authors Guild’s  most recent income survey  “The advent of AI technology further exacerbates these challenges and will make it increasingly difficult for writers,  particularly those from underrepresented communities to earn a living from the craft, which has taken at most years if not decades to complete.

Helen Phillips is a novelist and her new book titled ‘Hum’.  In this book, she narrates the story of a mother-daughter whose job has gone due to artificial intelligence. Phillips says, "I am both scared and fascinated by AI. There is a hope to accumulate all the knowledge (of the universe) but also a fear that an intelligence that is not human might replace us."

The united front of prominent authors, led by the Authors Guild, is calling for ethical AI practices marked at a pivotal moment in the fight against AI exploitation in the literary world.

In addition, the Society of Authors (SoA), the UK’s leading industry body for writers, has also voiced its support for the issue. The SoA fully supports the Authors Guild’s open letter and the legal efforts undertaken by Awad and Tremblay. Nicola Solomon, the chief executive of the SoA, emphasizes that consent, credit, and compensation are fundamental pillars of the intellectual property governance, vital to each author's ability to defend their work and earn a livelihood

AI could potentially increase the threat to the livelihood of authors in a few ways:

The ease of access to vast amounts of information on the Internet, combined with AI's ability to generate text, raises concerns about plagiarism and infringement of intellectual property. AI can also potentially be used to generate content that closely resembles existing written works, making it difficult to identify and remedy instances of plagiarism.

If AI reaches this level of sophistication, the line between human and machine-generated content could become blurred, calling into question the value of human creativity and authorship. Furthermore, AI may eventually surpass human creativity, making the unique insights and perspectives of writers obsolete.

As more companies and organizations turn to AI for content creation, there is concern that the demand for human writers will decline.

With AI-generated content becoming more prevalent and sophisticated, some worry that human writers will need help to compete with the speed and efficiency of their digital counterparts. This could lead to fewer opportunities for writers, making it harder for them to sustain a career in the field.

AI can generate content automatically, including articles, news reports, and even fictional stories. This can reduce the demand for human-written content, thereby affecting the income of authors who rely on writing as their primary source of livelihood.

AI-powered tools can be used to generate plagiarized content by simply paraphrasing or rephrasing existing articles. This can lead to a flood of duplicate content, making it difficult for original authors to stand out and monetize their work.

AI translation tools are becoming increasingly advanced, which can pose a threat to authors who specialize in translating or localizing content. AI-powered translation systems, although not perfect, can handle basic translation tasks, potentially reducing the need for human translators.

AI-based tools can perform automated editing and proofreading tasks, reducing the demand for human editors. While these tools can be helpful in catching grammar and spelling errors, they may lack the nuance and creativity that human editors bring to the table.

AI has made significant progress in generating human-like voices and speech, which can impact the demand for audiobooks and voice-over work. Authors who rely on these mediums for income may face competition from AI-generated alternatives.

It's important to note that while AI can automate certain aspects of content creation and related tasks, it cannot completely replicate the creativity, originality, and human touch that authors bring to their work. Authors can adapt and leverage AI tools to enhance their own writing process, explore new avenues of creativity, and differentiate themselves from automated content.