I asked writers from London Writers’ Salon why they write and how they feel about the possibility of AI training on their writing. As generative AI is pushed more and more by tech companies, it’s important to remember that human creativity is essential to writing.
Regardless of whether a writer uses generative AI as a writing assistant or refuses to use any generative AI, there is a widespread anxiety and rejection of AI training on their words, especially when the writer has no control of whether AI consumes it. A writer’s creativity, effort, and passion for writing is deeply personal, whether they keep their writing to themself or want people (not LLMs) to read it.
In their own words, here are why writers still write in an age of generative AI.
I write for my sanity and my humanity
Anyakara, a poet, said:
I write personal essay, memoir, and poetry. I write and draw for my sanity and my humanity. The time I spend with pen and paper helps soothe the tension, pain and overwhelm inside of me, as well as reminding me that I am fully human. For me, writing is the practice of connecting with essence, both my own and the world around me. It is this that AI can never take, no matter how much it strips mine and others work to “train” on it. I once wrote, “You may do with my body as you wish, but my mind and my soul remain my own.” The same now speaks to my writing I feel. The world, and AI, will do with it as it wishes (yes, I’ve put protections in place but have seen them fail already) but my role remains the same as a writer, to fight for the soul of the world with my greatest strength– my words.
It’s much harder not to write
Matt, a novelist, said:
I write because it can be hard to write but it’s much harder not to.
It seems like I get nothing from this ‘training’ (aka theft) while the companies doing the training get a lot. It’s imbalanced; unfair. Plus, currently, they appear to be doing this ‘training’ without consent. If the companies doing this ‘training’ were forced to pay the writers (imagine that) and the amount of money they would have to pay would bankrupt them now and always, I would consider reconsidering.
Writing is like oxygen
Bec, a writer and creative mentor, said:
I write fiction, non-fiction and a smattering of poetry. I write because it has become like oxygen – I don’t function without it. Or not well anyway!
The AI question is indeed a thorny one. If it can be limited to an AI tool learning how I write just for my own use – ring-fencing, if you like – then it can be helpful in using it almost like a coach when I am stuck for the “right” word. For it to use my writing to train the whole system – that’s another issue entirely and one I am not comfortable with. We need to retain the individuality and humanity that each of us brings to the world in order for society to thrive and even survive.
Oh and those em-dashes above are all mine 😂
Writing seems to help me think
Terra Leigh, a poet and essayist, said:
I write essays, poetry, LOTS of journal entries, and blog posts (two different blogs).
Why I write: So many reasons. It seems to help me think. Something about the process of writing itself seems to sort or slow down my mind, although (now that I’m thinking about it) I notice this more with handwriting than with typing. I also write sometimes because words or phrases or images or something-or-other pops into my head, and it sort of feels like it wants to be written. Very hard to describe. Also, while writing bigger/longer/more complex pieces can be . . . well, long and exhausting, it’s absolutely, endlessly fascinating to see what my unconscious comes up with. It’s a bit surreal, to see what your own brain comes up with, and I think it teaches me a ton about myself.
How I feel about the possibility of AI training on my writing: Absolutely appalled. Disgusted. Enraged. Also, pretty scared. As noted above, it seems almost inappropriate to call it “training.” It’s theft, somehow legal because our systems are always behind these careless, reckless technocrats. I already used to hesitate to put my writing on the internet because I knew that publishers might refuse to publish something on that basis, but now I find myself feeling like the internet is genuinely unsafe for anything that feels like a serious writing project to me. I know avoiding internet publication won’t save me — clearly they will literally buy and destroy humanity’s literary inheritance — but it does make me feel more drawn to more traditional publishing.
Writing is a part of me
Kathlene, a poet, said:
i journal multiple times a day as well as write poetry and the occasional essay.
i started writing as part of drug & alcohol recovery and just never stopped. writing was a way to focus on something besides self-harm and to dissect my addict thinking. nearly 16 years later, if i don’t write something every day i feel like a part of me has gone missing.
i read a quote once that said (paraphrasing here) true intelligence relies on the heart as much as the mind. AI lacks heart…lacks everything that makes people’s writing magical. i’d rather not write at all — and that’s asking a lot — than have my work used for AI training. the worst part of the AI explosion is the subversion of any possible good it could have done in the world, all in the name of profit and seemingly willful destruction. at this point, there is no way to walk back the damage that’s been done. even if it were to disappear tomorrow we couldn’t recover the things that have been destroyed in the relentless pursuit of AI advancement.
Other reasons writers write
There are so many reasons why people write, whether they’re published authors, essay writers, poets, hobbyists, or writers still trying to get published. A writer’s purpose is incredibly personal to them, and it can vary throughout their life, adapting to their craft and priorities.
Reasons include:
- To bring a story to life
- To write about experiences they have or are important to them
- To leave a legacy for their family or future generations
- To inspire or comfort readers
- To record their thoughts, experiences, or feelings
- To escape difficult environments or feelings
- To bring them joy or pleasure
- To understand the world more
- To write for themself: a story they would have loved to read, a project that would have changed their life, or a message that is important to them
If this resonates with you, you might want to do your own reflection on why you write. If you need prompts, I have a list of self-care journalling prompts to try.
