Why are writers fighting the future AI?

[Makimaam]

A conscientious commenter would take the time to figure out what is "fully AI-created" and what is "AI- or professional software edited".

I can tell the difference.
I can even tell when AI is used minimally, unless it’s only for grammar edits.

I don’t like it either way.

Give me the messy human cadence that surprises me, that pulls a smile to my face rather than showing me a recyclable, polished, generative word salad any day.

 

[OtherSlater]

I've been noticing a recurring debate among writers: pro-AI vs. anti-AI. But here's my take.

Think about what happened when photography was introduced. Anyone could pick up a camera, but that didn't kill painting. It actually did two things: it made visual capture more efficient and accessible, AND it pushed painters to become true specialists. The best painters didn't disappear. They became more intentional, more skilled, more valued.

I think AI is doing the same thing to writing. Those who choose not to use it are going to rise to the top as the best of the best, pure craftspeople. Those who do use AI tools are going to become highly efficient and still produce great work. Either way.

I'm utterly shocked y'all can still get mileage out this topic.

 

[Dawnathon]

Putting all philosophical and spiritual elements about the sanctity of art aside, I just hate seeing AI-generated images and stories. They don't even have to be specifically labeled as AI. My eyes just pick up on all the distorted details of AI images and it creeps me out. The writing also feels surreal and not in a charming or subversive way. There was even a game that AI generated all of the creatures and their effects + descriptions. It grossed me out to the point of killing my appetite the next day. And the AI generated effects were just plain guessing by the AI and only sometimes matched the gameplay effects, so the writing was clearly not functional either.

Even if AI somehow got to the point that it's completely flawless, I'd still rather see and read works by humans. I can always talk to a human author about their intentions behind a story, their creative processes, the ways they improved over however many drafts. You could even call it a form of cultivation . An AI can never talk to you about the process behind its creations, because all the intentions it has is "I got told to make this and it's in my programming." You could talk to a chatbot about it and have it roleplay being an author and making up a backstory for you, but at that point you really just need to touch grass.

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

I'm utterly shocked y'all can still get mileage out this topic.

writers block... so it was trollin time is all.

 

[OtherSlater]

writers block... so it was trollin time is all.

When I'm bored Imma drop Pay Artists 2 for the love of the game

 

[Dragonpig]

curious about something. Do you writers on this site ever read each other's stories?

 

[Envylope]

. Got a question is that pretty much like when people lift weights and . Take steroids. because I heard if you use them correctly and lift weights, it ain't that bad.

curious about something. Do you writers on this site ever read each other's stories?

You think writers can read?

"They only want to be read, not read others."

-PAM

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

sometimes, but a lot of us actually work in different genres...

Like I write FF Cis-smut, so that axes out a large portion of the authors here from even looking at it. Either because it is smut, a FF, or because it isnt BL/GL/Futa genderbent writing.

Likewise, I dont read anything BL/GL/Futa genderbent, which is a huge portion of SH (also known as SmutHub) nor do I read furry stuff....usually.

I will read non-smut works, but the other problem with reading other people's stories is that most writers here are more focused on writing, so reading cuts into our writing time.

 

[AstreiaNyx]

You think writers can read?

"They only want to be read, not read others."

-PAM

Hey! I’ve read a lot of novels on here.

 

[Envylope]

Hey! I’ve read a lot of novels on here.

Hey, I wasn't talking about you. You're an author, not a writer.

 

[NotaNuffian]

My stance is this.

You can use AI as a crutch.

But it is only a crutch, not a free labor to help you churn EVERYTHING.

 

[Daeron]

I've been noticing a recurring debate among writers: pro-AI vs. anti-AI. But here's my take.

Think about what happened when photography was introduced. Anyone could pick up a camera, but that didn't kill painting. It actually did two things: it made visual capture more efficient and accessible, AND it pushed painters to become true specialists. The best painters didn't disappear. They became more intentional, more skilled, more valued.

I think AI is doing the same thing to writing. Those who choose not to use it are going to rise to the top as the best of the best, pure craftspeople. Those who do use AI tools are going to become highly efficient and still produce great work. Either way.

It reminds me of the debate decades ago about whether it is better to read a novel on an electronic device or in a printed book.

The same applies to sketch artists: is it better to sketch on canvas and paper or a digital drawing pad?
Traditionalists argue that sketching on a pad ruins the essence of the art, they feel it loses its soul because the personal touch of a physical stroke is non-existent.

 

[Zagaroth]

Generative 'AI' is truly nothing more than a very advanced version of the text prediction stuff that's on your phones. There's nothing 'smart' about it, and it understands nothing, though that text prediction part is why it can be useful as a grammar/punctuation checker.

Such a thing could never have written my story. I *know* things about my story that have not been written down, and will not be written down for several books to come. This knowledge guides what I write now.

I am not saying that there is no place in the world for AI, even generative AI, as a tool, but as other people here have mentioned, it tends to be treated as a crutch. Feed an idea in, get a half-assed story out.

An example of it being used better: If an author is having a trouble getting a paragraph to 'sound' or 'feel' right, they could run the paragraph through 2-3 AIs and ask for edited versions of it. Seeing what the different models came up with could give an author some insight on alternative ways to phrase what they wanted, and then they can use what they think is best, which might not even be what any of the AIs suggested. Here, it is a time saving tool and a training tool, assuming the author truly learns from the process.

 

[Dragonpig]

sometimes, but a lot of us actually work in different genres...

Like I write FF Cis-smut, so that axes out a large portion of the authors here from even looking at it. Either because it is smut, a FF, or because it isnt BL/GL/Futa genderbent writing.

Likewise, I dont read anything BL/GL/Futa genderbent, which is a huge portion of SH (also known as SmutHub) nor do I read furry stuff....usually.

I will read non-smut works, but the other problem with reading other people's stories is that most writers here are more focused on writing, so reading cuts into our writing time.

I'm reading . One of your stories. My question to you is how long have you been writing and why haven't you published it on Amazon or something because I'm quite impressed. Not blowing smoke up your ass, but not bad.

 

[JayMark]

AI is going to become the tool that allows power to fully control culture worldwide.

 

[Juia_Darkcrest]

I'm reading . One of your stories. My question to you is how long have you been writing and why haven't you published it on Amazon or something because I'm quite impressed. Not blowing smoke up your ass, but not bad.

Its a fanfic, that is why

Assuming its DEN. CH 13-19 then CH 63-100 is all Infinite Frontiers, my own OG world.

I am planning on putting that on Amazon later this year, just working with an artist on here to do some work for me... I think she is booked up right now but I am patient

Edit - Writing on here since June last year, wrote 2 AVN scripts before that, the year and a half prior, both over 120k words. Other than those two, it's been 25-30 years since I did any creative writing.

Well, other than a lot of workplace writing in the last decade or so, while I try to justify why we needed X equipment instead of Y equipment, to replace Z equipment, despite Y being 20% cheaper than X...had to get a different kind of creative for that.

 

[melchi]

Ai should remain as a glorified calculator and nothing else.

It always has been.

Still is.

I'm copying trashyhuman here but I don't think it is bad. I think people just don't know how to use it. Taking 300 words of prompt and turning it into 3000 words is doing it wrong. That's garbage, put garbage in, get garbage out.

 

[Zagaroth]

Its a fanfic, that is why

Assuming its DEN. CH 13-19 then CH 63-100 is all Infinite Frontiers, my own OG world.

I am planning on putting that on Amazon later this year, just working with an artist on here to do some work for me... I think she is booked up right now but I am patient

Edit - Writing on here since June last year, wrote 2 AVN scripts before that, the year and a half prior, both over 120k words. Other than those two, it's been 25-30 years since I did any creative writing.

Well, other than a lot of workplace writing in the last decade or so, while I try to justify why we needed X equipment instead of Y equipment, to replace Z equipment, despite Y being 20% cheaper than X...had to get a different kind of creative for that.

Note: More than a few stories have done fairly well that started as FanFics, then had the 'serial numbers' scrubbed off. I have not read your work, but assuming it meets the quality it was described as having, simply editing it enough to change the fanfic sections to be different-but-similar characters in a different-but-similar setting can be enough to publish it.

It does require more than name swaps, of course. But it is something that can be done.

 

[LeslieLevendale]

I can tell the difference.
I can even tell when AI is used minimally, unless it’s only for grammar edits.

I don’t like it either way.

Give me the messy human cadence that surprises me, that pulls a smile to my face rather than showing me a recyclable, polished, generative word salad any day.

Fair enough.
Folks,
I was just thinking. And now I'm thinking it out loud.

I would hate to miss out on the works of those highly creative people with brilliant ideas whose first language is not English and who would never even contemplate to publish in English unless they have editorial assistance.

While these authors might not be lost for the world because they might still publish in their own language, they would be lost for me (unless of course they publish in one of the other two languages I know.

I say this as a Brit. I think it's a fact (correct me if I'm wrong) that English dominates global publishing. I feel that is totally unfair.

Brilliant story tellers all over the world think and feel in their own languages. Millions of readers who can only access literary work in English were deprived of those brilliant stories without translation and editing be it human or machine assisted.

I'm utterly shocked y'all can still get mileage out this topic.

What shocks me is that some commenters state their preference but fail to elaborate as to why.

The topic of the thread is:

Why are writers fighting the future AI?​

Why? Yes, that's the keyword here.

If the thread had been created to probe preferences of the forum members, it would have been a poll, would it not?

I would lie if I said I never answered a "why-question" with a "just because". But the thing is that I also admit when I did so I was arrogant, angry, insecure, childish, or whatnot.

As a child I might have received a slap on my face from my parents. As an adult, the consequences are more permanent; one can go a long way but one will be not very much liked.

But look at me, I'm talking silly again.

Forgive me.

I take my hat.

 

[MXDestroyer1189]

I'd rather read a shit story with no ai used than AI slop. simple as that