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The greatest threat to the profession of writers and, consequently, to our creative landscape is not short attention spans. Rather, it is artificial intelligence.

British book industry – contributing more than £11bn – has sat by while large technology firms collected intellectual property from the internet to refine their models. Recently, a developer settled a $1.5bn infringement lawsuit, but the opportunity has clearly left the harbour, and these companies is moving forward with the materials.

Being both a author representative and leader of one of the largest literary agencies in the UK and beyond, I am convinced this is a matter everyone should take seriously – not out of we fear progress, but because it is vital to safeguard creativity. By removing the essential element that defines us as truly human – the gift to think creatively, write fiction and envision alternate realities – we will face a lesser world.

Countless renowned writers have written about why narratives are the essence of humanity and how a creator’s purpose is to tell truths we might not want to hear. Having worked with writers such as Elif Shafak and David Nicholls, I have witnessed directly where great storytelling emerges.

Exceptional authorship is not a rehashing of previously published works. It is a blend made up of having lived a life, overcome adversity and grasped the spirit of the times; it is the product of talent, technique and dedication.

The need to write is not a trait that can be encouraged – it is a drive that possesses the writer. Truly dedicated writers cannot not write. They might employ software assistants and AI tools, but nothing would be more offensive to an author than an idea being served up to them via algorithm that they were then invited to “humanise”.

Some AI Is Harmful

Technology that does not supplant the artist, or that will work with them openly, is not entirely negative. An actor required for additional filming may authorise utilization of existing material to enhance a film. It might save on costs, environmental impact and schedules. An author may opt to speed up their investigation by customizing their own models. Language tools could broaden the availability of global stories, adding to our collective knowledge.

Such uses are worth discussing. However it has to be a conversation and be clear to the end user. Up to now, work has often been taken without compensation, and there are inadequate regulations on publishers, production companies, and industry players.

What Can We Do?

It begins with some core standards for all to agree upon. A creator’s bill of rights for AI that ensures two key elements: consent and attribution.

• No automated tool should be educated with an creator’s work without their clear, voluntary consent.
• Developers should be mandated to disclose the training materials they have used, providing visibility so that copyright holders know when their properties have been used.
• A writer should also be permitted to exclude their work clearly – without having to locate the option buried beneath complex terms of terms and conditions.

In cases where a author finds that AI tools is misrepresenting the essence of their creation so that it is unrecognizable from the authentic piece, they should be allowed to revoke consent for its use.

Additionally, let’s introduce a label system – akin to ingredient disclosures – that prevent retailers from selling machine-produced content without clear attribution. Equally, copyright must be upheld, and this can only be done at the government stage and even on an international scale – a multinational agreement.

Lastly, corporations should not be permitted to appeal to “exemption clauses” to justify their collecting of copyrighted material. This presents a serious threat to the protection of artistic rights. It undermines the true spirit of the “limited usage” defense, which was intended for researchers to cite without fees a small portion from published content.

Several basic rules might appear that important, but they may affect how young people will be educated, how our national stories are told, and how we define who we are.