Major Publishers Quietly Adopt AI for Creative Tasks, Raising Staff Concerns

According to reports from employees, three of the largest publishing houses are now using generative AI for creative work, including publicity, cover art, and back cover copy. Dozens of staff members at HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette confirmed the use of these tools, which are sometimes implemented without the consent of authors.

Reported AI Applications

Staff reports confirm that Large Language Models (LLMs) are being applied to a variety of tasks. These include drafting publicity materials, creating concepts for cover art, writing back cover copy, and composing internal emails. The push for adoption is reportedly coming from executives, who are encouraging junior staff to champion the technology's use.

Lack of Transparency and Author Consent

A key issue raised by the employees is the lack of transparency surrounding the use of AI. Specifically, publishers are said to be generating creative assets like back-cover copy and cover art without informing or seeking consent from the authors of the works. This quiet adoption has become a significant point of contention within the companies.

Evidence and Limitations

The information is based on reporting involving dozens of employees across the three named publishers. It is important to note that the available evidence does not contain separate claims that have been classified as uncertain or as marketing statements. The findings were originally reported by Wired.

Additional sources: - techmeme.com