Will AI Replace Authors? I Think Not!

A few weeks ago, I had an interesting debate with a fellow author who proudly proclaimed, “I don’t use AI because I’m protective of my words.” While I respected her stance, it got me thinking — does using AI really mean we’re giving up control over our writing?

I encountered another author who was frustrated after discovering that a Beta reader used AI to analyze her book and provide feedback. She feared this would impact her copyright protection. While I thought this was pretty crappy and dishonest of the reader — especially if he didn’t actually read the book — the truth is, in most cases, AI assistance doesn’t affect an author’s ability to copyright their work. According to the U.S. Copyright Office, works incorporating AI-generated material can be copyrighted as long as there is sufficient human authorship.

These conversations highlight the growing unease among writers when it comes to AI. Let’s be clear — I am not advocating for AI to write your book for you. However, as an author, book coach, and solopreneur, I have found that AI can be used as an assistant without replacing the heart we put into our stories.

Writing a book is a deeply personal process, one that involves emotion, creativity, and a connection to your characters. AI simply cannot replace that. An author’s voice is a powerful and valuable tool. However, if you are refusing to use this technology and trying to go it alone just for the sake of saying you don’t use it (purist, might I say), you’re wearing yourself out!

As authors, we often take on multiple roles — writer, editor, marketer, and designer, to name a few. It’s exhausting! If there are tools that can help us streamline certain tasks while allowing us to focus on what matters most — writing — why not use them? The key is to use AI ethically and responsibly, ensuring your book remains your own unique creation.

A 2023 study by Forbes found that 81% of authors and marketers using AI for content creation still required significant human intervention to refine AI-generated drafts. In other words, very little AI-generated content can be — nor should be — used without editing. This is true whether you’re creating a social media post or writing an entire book.

Here are a few ethical tips I share with my clients during my VIP coaching sessions to enhance their writing journey:

1. Outlining & Brainstorming — Being someone who wears a lot of hats, it’s often difficult for me to kickstart my writing process. Using AI has helped me to organize my thoughts — as choppy as they were — to develop my plots, focus my story, create my characters, and generate potential outlines. Doing this before starting the actual writing process has made my writing sessions much more productive. 
2. Find your target audience — Who do you write for? Whether you are a fiction or non-fiction writer, it’s important to understand your target audience. AI can help you create an avatar of your ideal readers, which can help with content creation, social media marketing, and much more.
3. Setting Research — AI can summarize information about historical periods, geographical locations, and cultural details that add authenticity to your story. It can also help with scene-setting. Even if you’ve been to the city where your story takes place, memories can fade.
4. Content Creation — Marketing is crucial for authors, but writing social media posts, newsletters, and book blurbs can be time-consuming. AI can help draft content that puts more eyes on your book. Just remember to edit your content before publishing!

With all of these capabilities, keep in mind that even the best AI tools can get things wrong. They might generate clichés, provide inaccurate historical facts, or suggest unrealistic dialogue. This is why I still believe in writing your own book. AI cannot replace the emotion, life experiences, and passion that authors bring to their work. However, it can be a powerful assistant for the busy professional with a crowded mind.

So, the next time someone tells you they won’t use AI because they’re “protective of their words,” remind them that AI doesn’t steal creativity — it just helps manage the workload. And when used properly, it can be an asset, not a threat.