Updated March 21, 2025
I deeply respect the work of artists and authors understand the concerns surrounding AI-generated content. Coming from a family of artists in multiple mediums, this is a conversation we’ve had at length. Creativity (whether in writing, filmmaking, painting, digital art, etc) takes time, skill, and passion, and I support human creatives.
As someone who has had my own work badly (oh so badly) stolen via plagiarism (CopyPasteCris stole a confirmed 12 of my books before I had to stop looking for my own mental health), I take copyright and ethical sourcing very seriously. Then there is the more recent Meta pirated books to train their AI thing (At least 189 of my book files are in the pirated training database. Yes, 189+. That’s like every book I’ve ever published in multiple editions.) I understand firsthand the frustration and harm that comes when creative work is taken without permission, which is why I’m mindful about the tools I use.
These are my current thoughts:
- Yes, my books have “No AI Training” in the copyright since this became an issue. It’s been ignored. They’re using pirated books to train, so they really don’t care.
- I use a service that actively tracks and takes down my pirated books. I’m not ok with pirating. It’s theft. Ask any prolific author: it’s an expensive, time consuming, uphill battle.
- Because of the nature of this and my 189+ books, I am automatically a part of the class action lawsuit going on.
- I spent years mentally and physically recovering from the CopyPasteCris stress, and that was 12 books by one person. I can’t do that to myself again.
- I’m recognized for having written and published over 100 books by RWA before AI was possible. I don’t need to prove I’m a human who can write books.
- I’m a working author. Full time.
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This toothpaste is not going back into the tube.
AI itself isn’t inherently bad—it’s a tool. For example, I love grammar check and self editing tools. (I’ve watched editors fight each other over comma placements for decades in my documents, so it’s all subjective and needs my decision in the end.) I find several tools to be useful for my job.
I will continue to work with humans for some of my book covers and professional projects. I say some because I have many times in the past made my own covers and art when the inspiration strikes, and will continue to do so. I’ve acted as my own editor. I format my books and print covers. I’ve acted as my own marketer. I’ve booked my own events. I’m also lucky to have artists, editors, and writers in my close family and friend groups that lend a hand. I’m married to a talented filmmaker. I build and maintain my own stores and website. Not much of this has changed. This is all part of being a small business owner/indie author. I work 18 hour days, 7 days a week most of the time and have for 20 years.
The real issue is how Gen AI was/is trained.
AI is in everything and isn’t going anywhere. I can either hide and quit my job, or I can try to navigate into the future. I’ve worried myself into an ulcer over it. (And to be honest, it took me a long time to recover from the CopyPastCris thing–too long, I’m still digging out of that hole) I love my job. I love creating. I don’t want to quit.
But, like I have multiple times in my career, I have to yet again adapt and figure out the best path forward. I published in ebook format when it was new and no one thought they were “real” books. I went from Trad publishing contracts to indie when everyone told me it was a stupid mistake. I pouted when camera film went digital and I didn’t want to give up my darkroom.
For the record, I do want a cleaning robot. That is one job I’m happy to quit.
AI is becoming a part of many industries and is in everything (it’s popped up in my writing software and in social media even though I didn’t ask for it). If you use AI to write in any form (yes, even on facebook or in emails or a chat bot), chances are it was trained on my 189+ and other authors’ books without our knowledge or compensation.
Am I asking you to stop using the internet? No. Like many creatives, I’m navigating how to use tech responsibly while ensuring that it doesn’t take opportunities away from creatives. I’m a full time plus creative and I have to work to pay my bills. Income is woefully down for all authors. We’re paid less for more work.
As technology evolves, I hope to see stronger copyright protections for both artists and authors. I hope that I get retroactive compensation, however unlikely, for the stolen books. Ethical AI use should respect, support, and uplift creatives, not replace or exploit them.
But I’ll say it again. We’re not putting the toothpaste back into the tube. We have to figure out a way to right what we can and work our way forward.
If you’re interested in my personal experience with the CopyPasteCris plagiarism and why I take this issue seriously, you can read more about it here: Plagiarism and Hard-Working Authors.
If you’re interested in seeing proof of the pirated books use to train AI. There’s a database for that: Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI
Article from The Atlantic about this: The Unbelievable Scale of AI’s Pirated-Books Problem
If you want to read the Author Guild blog post about this: Meta’s Massive AI Training Book Heist: What Authors Need to Know
I appreciate the ongoing conversations happening within the creative community and value respectful discussions on this evolving topic.
Energy use is another issue that will need to be addressed by tech companies. This is not my field of expertise.
Please Note: My thoughts and feelings about this topic change constantly as new conversations and information comes to light. I adjust myself accordingly, which is why it’s so important we have this conversation and listen to each other.
