Lack-of-human error

The winner of this year’s Commonwealth Foundation Short Story Prize, The Serpent in the Grove, was entered by 61-year-old Jamir Nazir from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. However, he may not have been the author. In fact, there may have been no human input in the writing, as analysts and critics allege the work was produced by an AI programme. Also caught up in the debacle is influential Granta magazine, which published Nazir’s story. However, while the jury remains out on that, there’s certainly a great deal of concern over the issue of authors passing off AI-generated books as their own work. But this is just one incident in a number reported that are causing concern right across the publishing industry. Recently, US publisher, Hachette Book Group Inc. cancelled publication of Shy Girl – a horror-genre novel – over worries it had been created, fully or in part, by means of AI. In another incident, The New York Times parted ways with a freelancer who admitted to using AI to author a book review. As the incidence of these rip-offs is likely to increase, the need for better detection software, such as AI checkers and detectors, will rise accordingly.