Who would have guessed a few decades ago that mediocre writers that produce short-lasting works would be so easily replacable? That just goes to show that the mistake was in seeing in literature an industry and not so much a form of art.
"More than half of published novelists in the UK believe artificial intelligence could eventually replace their work entirely, according to a new report from the University of Cambridge.
The study, conducted for the university’s Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, suggests widespread unease about the speed and scale of AI’s advance into the literary world.
The research surveyed 258 published novelists and 74 industry figures including editors and agents. Just over half (51%) of novelists said that AI is likely to end up entirely replacing their work. Many participants reported that their work had already been used without their permission to train large language models, and more than a third (39%) said their income had fallen as a result of generative AI. A large majority also expected their earnings to decline further.
“There is widespread concern from novelists that generative AI trained on vast amounts of fiction will undermine the value of writing and compete with human novelists,” said Dr Clementine Collett, author of the report.
“Many novelists felt uncertain there will be an appetite for complex, long-form writing in years to come. Novels contribute more than we can imagine to our society, culture, and to the lives of individuals,” she added.
Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl With a Pearl Earring said: “I worry that an industry driven mainly by profit will be tempted to use AI more and more to generate books."
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/nov/20/more-than-half-of-uk-novelists-believe-ai-will-replace-their-work
#AI #GenerativeAI #Literature #UK #Writing #CultureIndustry
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