Artificial Intelligence has taken the tech world by storm. Almost daily, more and more developers announce the implementation of AI as a part of their apps.
The sudden availability and popularity of AI have raised important questions for writers. Am I free to use AI in any way I can, or are there ethical limits to the use of AI?
One Position: “Ethics Don’t Matter — It’s All A Matter of Utility”
I’ve recently written two blog posts about the use of AI. The first, Using AI to Improve Your Writing: Tips and Techniques, was about the different ways writers can use AI.
The second, AI and Creativity: Finding the Balance Between Assistance and Replacement, explored where the boundaries were between using AI to assist the writing process, and when AI supplanted the creative writing process.
One reader responded by pointing out there is not much difference between a human “ghostwriter” I’ve paid to assist me in providing content, and AI assistance. I agree.
The writer went on to say, “To me, both are neither right, nor wrong, what really matters is how well we’re serving our audience while making sure that what we are producing reflects our own opinion about the topic we’re passionate about.”
I disagree. For me, there are moral issues of right and wrong about the way I use AI in my writing. It’s not just about utility.
Ethical Issues In Using AI
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is unethical. I’m not serving my audience if I take someone else’s work and represent it as mine, regardless of whether it reflects my opinions or passion. They’re still not my words or my creation.
From my perspective, taking a substantially completed product and slapping my name on it is plagiarism. That makes it an ethical issue. I’m not comfortable using AI in this manner.
I feel that using a human or AI ghostwriter with my name as the author is deceptive and morally wrong. Not everyone feels that way, but I do. So for me, it’s an ethical issue.
We’re Not Serving Our Needs as Writers or the Needs of Our Audience by Overusing AI
Bringing My Voice to My Audience
I believe my audience wants more than just barren transferred information. I think people follow my blog because my voice resonates with them, and they want to hear my unique take on the topics I write about.
It’s not just the bare transfer of data. I best serve my audience by providing them with my voice, not the voice of anonymous AI sources.
To deliver that, I must create the material I post, not just copy and paste. I can’t develop or use my voice if I don’t create the material. See my blog post, Finding Your Voice as a Writer.
The Obligation of Creativity
Anne Janzer, a national writing authority and author of a bestselling book on writing, The Writer’s Process: Getting Your Brain in Gear, writes, “All writers share an obligation to bring creativity to every piece, whether in crafting a title, identifying a unique perspective, or finding precisely the right turn of phrase.” AI is not going to provide that element of human creativity.
I think of writing as a craft, something that I have to work at and practice to get good at. At least at this point, it takes a creative writer who’s a craftsman to produce the kind of writing Janzer is talking about. AI can produce lots of words, but it takes a human to produce truly creative prose. AI doesn’t have the ability to take a unique approach to a topic or make new connections between ideas. It’s the difference between a cheap manufactured piece of furniture that is functional and a beautiful and unique piece of furniture that has been built by a human craftsman.
I think it’s important for my creative work to serve me so that I can best serve my readers. While the motivation for my practice is to benefit others, I must develop my own voice and writing skills to provide my audience with the creativity and uniqueness they seek.
To serve my needs as a writer and the needs of my audience, I need to develop my own material and substantially write it. While I can use AI in many ways to help strengthen my writing (see my post, AI and Creativity: Finding the Balance Between Assistance and Replacement), it needs to be substantially my creation.
I understand that some blogs and speakers regularly use ghostwriters — hopefully, they’re upfront about that with their audiences. For me, my blog is a personal expression, not just a collection of material. It reflects me, my passions, my thinking, my opinions, and my character.
Conclusion
There’s a danger that writers will become enamored with AI, rush in, and replace their creativity with borrowed writing. There’s also a danger that ethical issues like plagiarism will be ignored in the rush to save time and effort.
On the other hand, it is possible for writers to benefit from AI by carefully choosing how to use AI to assist and improve their writing, while at the same time not allowing AI to replace their creative writing.
Sometimes the issue of “right or wrong” is very much a consideration in choosing what level of AI or human assistance we’re comfortable with.