Is AI Stealing from Us Genuine Writers?

AI has transformed our world, and many people use it in their daily lives. It’s used as a tool for people to complete tasks more efficiently. I know many of my colleagues and friends use it, and when I ask them about it, they get very defensive.

I only use AI to write emails, letters, reports, proposals, presentations, frameworks, essays, stories…

The list is endless. They make it sound fantastic, but something inside of me is feeling uneasy. Where does the content come from?

I can’t help wondering… What’s the cost of AI to original writers?

Yes, we still exist, and I’m one of them.

I’m a mental health writer. I write from the heart. I write to help people who are struggling with living their lives after trauma. I write for those who feel they have no voice.

I have written six books; two of them personal memoirs and four novels.

I’m working on my thesis for my MFA in Creative Writing. At University, AI is forbidden in submitted papers. There are big penalties for using AI. I think it’s right. If you use AI in academic writing then you are cheating. You are trying to better yourself by using other people’s writing. Other people’s words.

Yet, students still use these programs.

The general public still uses AI programs.

I find it extraordinary that we live in an age where only certain aspects of our world is copyrighted, like published books, movies, and music.

What about other published work? Doesn’t that count? Or is this content fair game to steal if you are a robot?

I know AI is everywhere. I get that it’s easy to punch in a few commands into a program, and then get the words that you need. I understand that people use it because it’s easy and free. Yes, free!

What I don’t understand is that the words that AI use, are taken from a source that is not acknowledged. That source should not be free for all. It was once written by someone, and that someone should be entitled to a copyright fee and a citation.

That is the world of academia. It should be the same everywhere.

If someone wrote it, they own it. Nobody should be entitled to use your words without permission.

Many genuine authors and writers are struggling financially. Yet, the people who use AI to further their careers appear to earn much more.

Why, you ask?

It’s because they can generate content much quicker than an original writer. They can churn out twenty-five articles in a day without breaking a sweat. These words come from real writing without a citation and without a copyright fee.

I grew up unwanted and I had nothing when I left my bio-family. Everything I have now, I have worked for. I earned my teaching degree by working hard and I’ve never stopped.

AI is stealing from honest writers like you and me. My words are out there earning money for other people who have used AI. I have seen my own words in other peoples’ writing.

Have you seen your words in a stranger’s writing? How did that feel?

It doesn’t just hurt. Someone is using my work for their own benefit without my permission. They can tailor my words to fit them. It should be illegal. It feels like glorified stealing.

How do we stop this?

My name is Lizzy. I’m a trauma survivor, a wife, a mom, a teacher, and an author.

If you like reading my posts, then please follow me.

For more about me: www.elizabethwoodsauthor.com

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