<< AI will not take over our jobs, yadda, yadda, yadda…making authors a thing of the past. I can tell you unequivocally that we have not been replaced, not even close. I've read some of these books written by AI on Kindle Unlimited, and they are utterly unreadable. >>
So far, I have yet to be impressed. You can generate passable ideas using AI, but you might be disappointed if you are counting on AI to write a book for you. You will need to go back and edit, just like if you wrote it all by yourself, and it may be more difficult because you didn't write it to begin with. Amazon is asking authors if any part of their book is written using AI and scanning them. What will Amazon do if the author answers no and they discover the author has? I believe Amazon is asking this question as there is concern about what AI is doing to those writing "actual books." AI is suitable for generating ideas, titles, etc., but the computer is a tool at the end of the day. Do authors want to become slaves to AI? I've played around with AI-generated art, and the more influential the program, the better the art, and I suspect it is the same with the writing programs. I have used AI to generate possible stories for non-fiction writing, and even with them, I've only produced something I would publish with significant additions and editing on my part. Who knows what the future will bring? I am sure a computer will eventually be able to "copy" the style of Stephen King or other famous writers perfectly (I'm pretty sure it can do this already.) Still, even these writer's styles changed over their careers due to their age, accidents, and circumstances. They didn't stay the same. Romance authors pressured to produce in a series need to use AI too, and it doesn't matter about the quality. It's a matter of quantity, so AI is a blessing for them. Or do I have it wrong? Have these authors harnessed its advantages and figured out how to make it work for them?
Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Kay. Let me address one question immediately: << What will Amazon do if the author answers no and they discover the author has? >>
I have a much deeper fear: that Amazon -- or more accurately, some set of Amazon algorithms -- will arbitrarily and incorrectly determine that an author is guilty of such an infraction and take punitive measures in response. Sadly, we see hints of such events-to-come already. People are knocked off Facebook (no explanation given), and writers have their works "banned" (as personal history attests) for no logical reason.
I doubt romance authors are using AI on any massive scale. Still, so much of what we see these days seems rather "formulaic" that one must begin to wonder...
There is actually one stat the article does not articulate, and I don't have ANY dependable source for data, aside from rumors. True, Amazon seems to control a large share of the ebook market--"over 80 percent of all ebooks on the market"--but the real question is: what percentage of self-published fiction is sold through Kindle? Some people claim the figure may be 94% or higher, so if some quirky algorithm prompts Amazon to suspend an author's account, it is a true disaster.
<< AI will not take over our jobs, yadda, yadda, yadda…making authors a thing of the past. I can tell you unequivocally that we have not been replaced, not even close. I've read some of these books written by AI on Kindle Unlimited, and they are utterly unreadable. >>
I devoutly hope you are right, Kay!
So far, I have yet to be impressed. You can generate passable ideas using AI, but you might be disappointed if you are counting on AI to write a book for you. You will need to go back and edit, just like if you wrote it all by yourself, and it may be more difficult because you didn't write it to begin with. Amazon is asking authors if any part of their book is written using AI and scanning them. What will Amazon do if the author answers no and they discover the author has? I believe Amazon is asking this question as there is concern about what AI is doing to those writing "actual books." AI is suitable for generating ideas, titles, etc., but the computer is a tool at the end of the day. Do authors want to become slaves to AI? I've played around with AI-generated art, and the more influential the program, the better the art, and I suspect it is the same with the writing programs. I have used AI to generate possible stories for non-fiction writing, and even with them, I've only produced something I would publish with significant additions and editing on my part. Who knows what the future will bring? I am sure a computer will eventually be able to "copy" the style of Stephen King or other famous writers perfectly (I'm pretty sure it can do this already.) Still, even these writer's styles changed over their careers due to their age, accidents, and circumstances. They didn't stay the same. Romance authors pressured to produce in a series need to use AI too, and it doesn't matter about the quality. It's a matter of quantity, so AI is a blessing for them. Or do I have it wrong? Have these authors harnessed its advantages and figured out how to make it work for them?
Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Kay. Let me address one question immediately: << What will Amazon do if the author answers no and they discover the author has? >>
I have a much deeper fear: that Amazon -- or more accurately, some set of Amazon algorithms -- will arbitrarily and incorrectly determine that an author is guilty of such an infraction and take punitive measures in response. Sadly, we see hints of such events-to-come already. People are knocked off Facebook (no explanation given), and writers have their works "banned" (as personal history attests) for no logical reason.
I doubt romance authors are using AI on any massive scale. Still, so much of what we see these days seems rather "formulaic" that one must begin to wonder...
I have no idea. There has been nothing spelled out. Yes, I worry about Amazon arbitrarily doing something against authors, because they've already done things in the past. Since we are discussing all this check this article out it: https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/16/23834223/amazon-authors-booksellers-monopoly-publishing-industry
I'm well aware of this ongoing development.
There is actually one stat the article does not articulate, and I don't have ANY dependable source for data, aside from rumors. True, Amazon seems to control a large share of the ebook market--"over 80 percent of all ebooks on the market"--but the real question is: what percentage of self-published fiction is sold through Kindle? Some people claim the figure may be 94% or higher, so if some quirky algorithm prompts Amazon to suspend an author's account, it is a true disaster.