Writing the Wrongs of AI : LLMs, copyright and creativity in the age of Generative AI

About the Fellowship

Led by Dr Pip Thornton at the University of Edinburgh and partnered with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, this fellowship explores the role of human authors in the AI age. The focus is on raising awareness and skills about responsible AI within the publishing industry, addressing how AI technologies like ChatGPT impact the agency, creativity, and livelihood of human authors.

Generative AI technologies rely on vast databases of text, often scraped from open sources or including copyrighted work without authors' consent. Writers are increasingly concerned as their work is used to train machine learning algorithms, producing new content and value. OpenAI, developer of ChatGPT, faces a class-action lawsuit by The Authors Guild, while UK parliamentary committees scrutinize copyright and IP legislation. Legal processes and compensation will take years, but authors need answers now.

Project Goals

In collaboration with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Writing the Wrongs of AI aims to champion the agency of human authors in the age of AI. This project does not reject AI outright but seeks to playfully challenge, subvert, and work with AI "responsibly" to raise awareness and skills, securing the creative and economic future of authors and the publishing industry.

The project will identify a group of established writers, publishers, agents, copyright experts, and creative technologists to collectively explore options and opportunities to "Write the Wrongs" of AI. Through interviews and workshops, participants will discuss experiences, exchange expertise, and engage with legal and creative technology specialists in blockchain, Generative AI, and AI art.

Workshops and Outputs

• Map concerns for authors in the AI age.
• Develop conceptual, legal, practical, and artistic tools and interventions.
• Produce a portfolio of outputs, including:
  • A panel and exhibition at the 2024 Edinburgh Book Festival.
  • A printed manifesto.
  • Academic papers.
  • A film documenting the process and outputs.
  • Solid methods for authors to navigate the future.

The collaboration with the Book Festival ensures participation from high-profile authors, publishers, and agents, leading to significant impact in book circles, academia, policy, and the wider public.

Contact

For more information, email braid@ed.ac.uk.