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AI-generated stories rated better quality than human-written ones, study finds
Researcher says simpler writing by AI is easier to read and digest, but this does not mean human authors are obsolete From Homer’s Odyssey to Agatha Christie’s crime fiction, humans have produced plenty of tales to grace the bookshelf. But research suggests artificial intelligence may now be providing some competition. In a study published in…
Why I’m grateful to the Pope for his encyclical on AI | Francine Prose
The intelligent and thoughtful encyclical is an important warning of the uses and misuses of a rapidly developing technology. Silicon Valley is wrong to dismiss it Often I’m asked if I think that the novels of the future will all be written by AI. It’s not so much a question as a provocation. Do I…
‘Being human helps’: despite rise of AI is there still hope for Europe’s translators?
A booming tech sector has disrupted translation jobs in publishing – but they could be needed for a while longer yet In February 2022, while he was plugging away at rendering the US writer Dana Spiotta’s novel Wayward into French, the literary translator Yoann Gentric decided he needed a bit of light relief. He would…
‘They’re supposed to be handmade’: zine creators fight to resist AI influence
Artists and writers argue scrappy nature of self-published booklets is incompatible with artificial intelligence The self-published zine has long been central to cultural revolutions, from queer activism to Black feminism and the riot grrrl punk movement, producing titles such as Sniffin’ Glue and Sweet-Thang along the way. But now the traditionally analogue art form faces…
Is AI the greatest art heist in history?
New technologies of reproduction are plundering the art world – and getting away with it In 2026, its easy to see why generative AI is bad. The internet has nicknamed its excretions “slop”. The CEOs of AI companies prance about on stage like supervillains, bragging that their products will eliminate vast swathes of work. Generative…
Penguin to sue OpenAI over ChatGPT version of German children’s book
Publisher alleges AI research company’s chatbot violated its copyright over Coconut the Little Dragon series Penguin Random House has filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging its chatbot ChatGPT violated copyright by mimicking and reproducing the content of a popular series of German children’s books. The lawsuit, which was filed on Friday with a Munich court…
‘Soon publishers won’t stand a chance’: literary world in struggle to detect AI-written books
US release of horror novel Shy Girl cancelled and UK book discontinued after suspected AI use, as publishers feel ‘cold shiver’ Recently, the literary agent Kate Nash started noticing that the submission letters she was receiving from authors were becoming more thorough – albeit also more formulaic. “I took it as a rise in diligence,”…
We Know You Can Pay a Million by Anja Shortland review – the terrifying new world of ransomware
Criminals extorting money online have created huge businesses, complete with branding and HR The birth of ransomware was a stunt that got out of hand. In 1989, an evolutionary biologist called Joseph L Popp Jr was working part time for the World Health Organisation on the Aids epidemic. He was a difficult man. When he…
Thousands of authors publish ‘empty’ book in protest over AI using their work
About 10,000 writers including Kazuo Ishiguro, Philippa Gregory and Richard Osman join copyright campaign Thousands of authors including Kazuo Ishiguro, Philippa Gregory and Richard Osman have published an “empty” book to protest against AI firms using their work without permission. About 10,000 writers have contributed to Don’t Steal This Book, in which the only content…