SFWA Members Weigh in on AI & Machine Learning Applications & Considerations

Recent developments in the use of technology to produce creative works have driven both insightful commentary and strong feelings in the science fiction and fantasy community. These artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools and applications are being used to generate artwork, audio narration, nonfiction articles, and fictional narratives with increasing frequency. There are important considerations to be made about what the proper use of these technologies should be—practically, ethically, and legally—while recognizing that their applications are changing almost daily.

We can think of no group better to weigh in on these issues than the SFWA membership: writers and thinkers who have long considered exactly these questions and their ramifications in many great works of speculative fiction across many mediums. Therefore, we’ve created this webpage to feature our members’ recent writing and thoughts on AI and machine learning. Each of the links below will take you to a different presentation of those thoughts, whether a personal blog post, a social media thread, a video, or a magazine article.

We hope that the SFF community and our members will give these pieces the same respectful contemplation as the SFWA members who’ve shared them. They do not reflect an official viewpoint of SFWA, the organization, but we hope they will foster more discussion of the complicated issues that AI and machine learning applications have brought forth.

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*New* designates articles added after August 27, 2023.

⩥ A. P. Howell – “AI” is neither artificial nor intelligent – https://aphowell.com/2023/02/27/ai-is-neither-artificial-nor-intelligent/ 

⩥ Ada Hoffmann – The Midjourney mess – https://adahoffmann.substack.com/p/the-midjourney-mess

⩥ Ada Hoffmann – The Midjourney mess, Part 2: Turing problems – https://adahoffmann.substack.com/p/the-midjourney-mess-part-2-turing

⩥ Alexia Chantel – 100% Human Made – https://sffseven.blogspot.com/2023/03/100-human-made.html?sc=1679583537575#c1183788767341776448

⩥ Alma Alexander – AI, AI, Oh! – https://almaalexander.org/2023/02/27/ai-ai-oh/

⩥ Andrew Dana Hudson – Why chatbots are roleplaying as “rogue AI” from bad sci-fi – https://www.solarshades.club/p/why-chatbots-are-roleplaying-as-rogue

⩥ Andy Coenen, Daphne Ippolito, Ann Yuan, Sehmon Burnam (and additional contributers, including SFWA members) – Wordcraft Writers Workshop (summary of a workshop exploring the limits of co-writing with LaMDA, which was a collaboration between Google’s PAIR and Magenta teams, and 13 professional writers) – https://wordcraft-writers-workshop.appspot.com/learn

⩥ Anna Ziegelhof – Creative intent and ChatGPT – https://www.annaziegelhof.com/blog/creative-intent-and-chatgpt

*NEW* ⩥ Benjamin X. Wretlind – Using AI for World Building: Species Names  – https://bxwretlind.com/blog/2023/02/20/using-ai-for-world-building/

⩥ Cat Rambo – It’s all about the algorithms: My take on AI art – http://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/2023/02/23/its-all-about-the-algorithms-my-take-on-ai-art/

⩥ Charon Dunn – Disco doesn’t suck – and neither does AI art – https://charondunntheblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/disco-doesnt-suck-and-neither-does-ai.html

⩥ Colt Leasure – I don’t and won’t let AI write my fiction for me – https://www.reddit.com/r/Colt_Leasure/comments/115eo2q/my_thoughts_on_using_ai_to_write_fiction_hint_i/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

⩥ Cory Doctorow – Google’s chatbot panic – https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/16/tweedledumber/#easily-spooked

⩥ Dave Walsh – Our collective interest in AI is yet another symptom of the disease that gave us Elon – https://dvewlsh.substack.com/p/our-collective-interest-in-ai-is

⩥ Dirk Strasser –  Is the future of fiction non-human? – http://www.dirkstrasser.com/dirks-blog/is-the-future-of-fiction-non-human

⩥ Dusk Peterson – How I use AI when I edit my stories – https://duskpeterson.dreamwidth.org/362989.html

*NEW* ⩥ Erik M Johnson – Artificial, Yes. But Intelligent? – https://erikmjohnson.net/ai-part-i/

⩥ Francesca Forrest (@morinotsuma) – Response to Chuck Wendig’s “A.I. and the fetishization of ideas” – https://twitter.com/morinotsuma/status/1626241718919241728?s=20

⩥ Francesca Forrest – Three ideas for foiling ai spamming of sff zines – https://asakiyume.dreamwidth.org/1012570.html

⩥ J.D. Moyer – AI gone wild—Should AI be allowed in art? – https://www.jdmoyer.com/2023/02/21/ai-gone-wild-should-ai-be-allowed-in-art/

⩥ J.S. Morin – AI-generated artwork: Move over Dalí, it’s DALL-E time – https://www.jsmorin.com/2022/09/ai-generated-artwork-move-over-dali-its-dall-e-time/

⩥ J. Dianne Dotson and Avrohom Gottheil – How science fiction influences technology – https://youtu.be/bf_EjfvnRNc

*NEW* ⩥ J. Scott Coatsworth – Point of View: The Trouble With AI – https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com/point-of-view-the-trouble-with-ai/

⩥ J. Stephen Pendergrast – Generative AI and small press websites: Designing your AI policy – https://scifiwise.com/generative-ai-and-small-press-websites/

⩥ Jason Sanford – Genre Grapevine on what AI generated art and writing might mean for artists and authors – https://www.patreon.com/posts/78465220 – Examines the recent history of AI creative programs, how artists and writers might use these tools, and how these tools might affect the livelihoods of artists and writers. Also games out possible futures with regards to these tools.

⩥ Jenna Glover – The Thing’s a thing: Let’s talk AI – https://jennaglover.com/the-things-a-thing-lets-talk-ai/

⩥ Jennifer R. Povey – The temptation of AI fiction – https://jenniferrpovey.medium.com/the-temptation-of-ai-generated-fiction-9f1a7f60159b?sk=0b0d5a493b738d3913b1be96b47d24e8

⩥ John Daulton – Chat GPT – Using AI to write your blogs and social media marketing – https://daultonbooks.com/chat-gpt-using-ai-to-write-your-blogs-and-social-media-marketing/

⩥  John G. McDaid – Seeing things: The human search for meaningful patterns and the media ecology of computer-generated text – https://mediarxiv.org/x94br/

⩥ John Scalzi – OMG is the AI coming for my job?!?!?! – https://whatever.scalzi.com/2023/02/23/omg-is-the-ai-coming-for-my-job/

⩥ Jo Lindsay Walton – Torque Control: Writing Futures – How does generative AI fit into social justice imaginaries about the futures we want to build? – https://vector-bsfa.com/2022/12/05/torque-control-writing-futures/

⩥ Jon Evans – Pity the poor underpaid AI – https://aiascendant.substack.com/p/pity-the-poor-underpaid-ai

⩥ Kagan Tumer – AI in media – How to handle the hysterics – https://kagantumer.com/2022/08/12/ai-in-media-how-to-handle-the-hysterics/

⩥ Kagan Tumer – What does ChatGPT know, exactly? – https://kagantumer.com/2023/02/17/what-chatgpt-is-and-isnt/

⩥ Karawynn Long – Language is a poor heuristic for intelligence – https://karawynn.substack.com/p/language-is-a-poor-heuristic-for

⩥ Kevin Bohacz – Imitation by AI is not the sincerest form of flattery – https://kevinbohacz.com/2023/02/24/imitation-by-ai-is-not-the-sincerest-form-of-flattery/

⩥ LaShawn M. Wanak – The good, the bad, and the AI – https://www.uncannymagazine.com/article/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ai/

⩥ Laurence Raphael Brothers – Creative AI vs. creative humanity – http://www.kittywumpus.net/blog/2023/02/22/creative-ai-vs-creative-humanity-guest-post-by-laurence-raphael-brothers-2/

⩥ Leah R Cutter – Using ChatGPT – https://www.leahcutter.com/2023/02/essay-using-chatgpt/

⩥ M L Clark – AI is here: Are we finally ready to rethink the value of being human? – https://onlysky.media/mclark/ai-is-here-are-we-finally-ready-to-rethink-the-value-of-being-human/

⩥ Maria Korolov  – P.E.A.N.U.T.: 6 steps to staying ahead of AI as a fiction author – https://www.metastellar.com/nonfiction/essays/p-e-a-n-u-t-6-steps-to-staying-ahead-of-ai-as-a-writer/

⩥ Maria Korolov, Marie Ginga, and Melody Friedenthal  – Yes, you can submit AI-assisted stories to us. But they better be good. – https://www.metastellar.com/nonfiction/news/yes-you-can-submit-ai-assisted-stories-to-us-but-they-better-be-good/

*NEW* ⩥ Matthew Wayne Selznick – Artificial Intelligence, Ethics, and Your Creative Integrity – https://www.mattselznick.com/ai-ethics-for-writers/

⩥ Matthew Wayne Selznick – Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick 066: Should writers fear artificial intelligence? – https://www.mattselznick.com/sonitotum-066/

⩥ Mike Wyant Jr. – AI Art and the End of Creativity… except not really – https://www.mikewyantjr.com/blog/ai-art-and-the-end-of-creativity

⩥ Michael Capobianco on behalf of Writer Beware – Copyright, Contracts, and AI-Generated Material – https://writerbeware.blog/2023/06/16/copyright-contracts-and-ai-generated-material/

⩥ Nancy Jane Moore – An Aikido approach to chatbots – https://treehousewriters.com/wp53/2023/05/12/an-aikido-approach-to-chatbots/

⩥ Paul Levinson – Why the Final Beatles Record via AI is Not So Revolutionary – https://vocal.media/beat/why-the-final-beatles-record-via-ai-is-not-so-revolutionary

⩥ Priya Chand – The billion brains of “AI” – https://priyachandwrites.wordpress.com/2023/04/03/the-billion-brains-of-ai/

⩥ R. Jean Mathieu – AI, Automation, & Deutomation – https://www.rjeanmathieu.com/ai-automation-and-deutomation/

⩥ R. Jean Mathieu, on behalf of Humanity in Fiction – Authors and Editors Survey 2023 (a report on AI’s impact) – https://docsend.com/view/2v2sytxjey83nd4b

⩥ Russ Linton – The AI revolution begins and ends with you – https://russlinton.com/2023/02/21/the-ai-revolution-begins-and-ends-with-you/

⩥ S.B. Divya and James Yu – Design@Large Series: S.B. Divya, James Yu – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxKsmnj2i6g&t=11s

⩥ S. R. Algernon – Thoughts on AI-generated fiction – https://sralgernon.wordpress.com/2023/02/20/thoughts-on-ai-generated-fiction/

⩥ Shannon McRoberts – There’s still no make art button: The myth of AI art – https://shannonmcroberts.com/2022/08/theres-still-no-make-art-button-the-myth-of-ai-art/

*NEW* ⩥ Shannon Rampe – 3 Weird Futures with Generative AI: A Thought Experiment – https://www.shannonrampe.com/post/three-weird-futures-with-generative-ai-a-thought-experiment

⩥ Sheila Jenne – What can AI do for novels? – https://sheilajenne.com/2023/03/03/ai-writing/

⩥ Sue Burke – How good is an AI at translation? – https://sueburke.site/2023/02/22/how-good-is-an-ai-at-translation/

⩥ Susan Kaye Quinn – The dangers of AI for artists of all kinds – https://susankayequinn.com/2023/03/the-dangers-of-ai-for-artists-of-all-kinds.html 

⩥ Susan Kaye Quinn – The AI hype machine – https://susankayequinn.com/2023/05/the-ai-hype-machine.html

⩥ Tim Waggoner – AI “authors” – https://writinginthedarktw.blogspot.com/2023/01/ai-authors.html

⩥ Tony Peak – Blame AI art’s exploiters, not the technology – https://medium.com/@tonypeak78/blame-ai-arts-exploiters-not-the-technology-ac2bbb591d93

*NEW* ⩥ Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware – Dear Author, Are You Human? Certifying Authenticity – https://writerbeware.blog/2023/08/11/dear-author-are-you-human-certifying-authenticity/

⩥ Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware – Findaway Voices, machine learning, and the new rights frontier – https://writerbeware.blog/2023/02/10/findaway-voices-machine-learning-and-the-new-rights-frontier/

⩥ Vyvyan Evans, Ph.D.  – Are artificially-enhanced minds the future of communication? – https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/language-in-the-mind/202302/are-artificially-enhanced-minds-the-future-of-communication

⩥ Yoon Ha Lee – Thoughts on AI through the lens of computer music – https://yhlee.dreamwidth.org/4615219.html

Last updated August 28, 2023.