Authors losing contracts. Editors being sued. Contests coming into disrepute. And all this pales in comparison to the slander and accusations that are flying in every which direction.
I'm seeing an increasing number of posts from self-publishing authors now afraid of being accused of using AI to write their stories. Some of these posts are in response to random comments about covers that they've just had commissioned, suggesting that the author was scammed by someone using AI in the design. Other posts are because the author favors punctuation that has now become a "tell-tale sign" of whether someone is using AI or not—like a writer not using AI is not capable of producing anything that might be grammatically correct. And let's not forget the authors who are being accused of using AI to pump it out at a rapid rate, just because they're publishing six books a year. Yet, I personally know Harlequin Romance writers who are contracted to do just that—write at least six books a year.
Unfortunately, when the lynch mob gets an idea stuck in their heads, there's nothing that anyone can do to prove otherwise.
The mob says it's so, so the mob must be right. Right?
WRONG!
Yet, it doesn't take away the fear.
Emotions are running high, and those with the pitch forks are ready to pounce. And many authors are now scared… and all because of the AI mess that has landed at our feet.
It's time to put a little perspective into this and right-size the situation.
