• A quarter of illustrators (26%) and over a third of translators (36%) have already lost work due to generative AI.
• Around 1 in 10 translators (8%) and a smaller proportion of illustrators (5%) said they have used generative AI in their work because their publisher or commissioning organisation asked them to.
• Almost two-thirds of writers of fiction (65%) and over half of non-fiction writers (57%) believe that generative AI will negatively impact future income from their creative work.

Throughout January 2024, the EWC Member The Society of Authors (UK) ran a survey of its 12,500 members and other authors, and received 787 responses on experiences of generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems, and authors’ views and concerns about the future impact on creative careers.

The respondents included writers of fiction and non-fiction, scriptwriters, poets and journalists, as well as illustrators and translators – many well-established, others early in their careers, and both traditionally and self-published. Regardless of type of author and career stage, almost all respondents called for transparency from developers, safeguards introduced by Government, credit and compensation when work is used, and ethical approaches both to the development of generative AI systems and in practice when they are used by industry. To the results.

Selected findings:

While some respondents are starting to use generative AI as a tool in their work out of choice, others – specifically some translators and illustrators – are now being asked to use it by publishers and commissioning organisations.

• Approximately 1 in 5 respondents (22%) said they had used generative AI in their work.
• This included 1 in 10 illustrators (12%), a third of translators (37%), a fifth of fiction writers (20%) and around a quarter of non-fiction writers (25%).
• Around 3 in 10 illustrators and writers (31%) said they have used generative AI for brainstorming ideas.
• Around 1 in 10 translators (8%) and a smaller proportion of illustrators (5%) said they have used generative AI in their work because their publisher or commissioning organisation asked them to.

Creators’ livelihoods at risk

Concerns about the impact of generative AI on creative careers included groups of authors who are already experiencing loss of work, or the devaluation of their work, as a direct result of new technologies.

• A quarter of illustrators (26%) and over a third of translators (36%) have already lost work due to generative AI.
• Over a third of illustrators (37%) and over 4 in 10 translators (43%) say the income from their work has decreased in value because of generative AI.
• Almost two-thirds of writers of fiction (65%) and over half of non-fiction writers (57%) believe that generative AI will negatively impact future income from their creative work, with this rising to over three quarters of translators (77%) and illustrators (78%).
• More than 8 in 10 respondents (86%) said they are concerned about their style, voice and likeness being mimicked or reproduced in generative AI output.
• More than 8 in 10 respondents (86%) are concerned that the use of generative AI devalues human-made creative work.

To the complete evaluation by the Society of Authors