The SoA has launched a survey asking writers, illustrators and translators about their use of and views on generative artificial intelligence (generative AI). The questions cover attitudes towards using generative AI as part of the creative process and the copying of creative works to develop these systems.
Take the survey here
We are working to raise awareness, provide guidance, challenge poor practice, and argue for the recognition of creators’ rights when their work is used in the development or output of generative AI systems. You can read more about this work here.
The survey aims to collect qualitative and quantitative responses on the challenges and opportunities that new technologies present to writers, illustrators and translators. The results will provide strong, evidence-based backing to our policy and advice work on generative AI throughout 2024.
Generative AI refers to systems that are capable of generating entirely ‘new’ content, whether audio, image, video or text-based. It does not cover other AI tools such as those used to assist research or translate short phrases or autocompletion.
These systems are developed by importing large quantities of written and visual work, including hundreds of thousands of books and millions of images, usually without permission. This has involved the use of many copyright-protected works, but the true scale of this piracy is unclear as there is a complete lack of transparency from developers regarding the works copied.
The survey will stay open until 31 January 2024 and is open to both members and non-members of the SoA. All answers will be collected anonymously in line with our privacy policy.
I am concerned by two aspects of my otherwise private and mostly unpublished writer life.The first is the ghost text that appears on the line ahead of what I am writing. This is usually wrong. Its source must be contrived by AI. Second is the effect of certain aspects of ebooks. I only realized what was happening while I was organising my collection of novels alphabetically on my new shelves after moving my home. I picked up a battered volume and began reading it. Alone, in a quiet room and was overcome with the sheer pleasure of it. Realizing that… Read more »
It isn’t clear where, in this article, one can find the take the survey link.
Hi Helen, the link to the survey is after the first paragraph. Just click on the text that says ‘Take the survey here’.