Controversy surrounding AI in the arts is a longstanding issue, and the world of writing is no exception. Typically, communities of writers are a unified front against the use of AI, but in early September, the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) organization shared their thoughts on the matter to many loyal member’s dismay. As November is upon us, the community continues with a strong reaction.
NaNoWriMo started their original statement saying they do “not explicitly support any specific approach to writing, nor does it explicitly condemn any approach, including the use of AI.”
This statement came in the wake of a rise in vitriolic messages on their social forums about the correct ways to write, and “acceptable vs. unacceptable writing tools.”
Despite the seemingly impartial beginning, the original statement ended with the organization confirming their “belief that the categorical condemnation of Artificial Intelligence has classist and ableist undertones, and that questions around the use of AI tie to questions around privilege.”
Within days of NaNoWriMo releasing this statement, backlash flooded the internet, with long-time participants deleting their accounts and condemning the organization’s stance. Multiple associated organizations and persons announced they were no longer affiliated with the previously popular community.
Prominent members of NaNoWriMo’s writer’s board, including Daniel José Older, announced their departure following the statement. In a resignation letter he submitted to NaNoWriMo and later released to Substack, Older highlighted that the sponsor of the 2024 NaNoWriMo is ProWritingAid, an AI platform that contains generative tools.
“An organization for writers that supports Generative AI is not an organization for writers,” he said.
Since the original statement and the following backlash, multiple amendments and follow-up messages have been released to the community in attempts to clarify that “taking a position of neutrality was not an abandonment of writers’ legitimate concerns about AI,” and that they “absolutely believe that AI must be discussed, and that it’s ethical use must be advocated for. What [they] don’t believe is that NaNoWriMo belongs at the forefront of that conversation.”
Despite their apologies and revisions, most writers within the community are still upset by the organization’s comments, feeling that an endorsement of AI in writing is abandoning their purpose as a writer-friendly group that encourages people to make progress in their writing goals.
Many feel that NaNoWriMo’s self-proclaimed mission of “supporting the humans doing the writing,” cannot coexist with their current stance on Artificial Intelligence in the community.
“I mean, think about the words ‘artificial intelligence,” Creative Writing teacher Casey Engel said. “What’s happening with our actual, human intelligence?”
There are plenty of methods for those that physically cannot write to have their stories told, and plenty of outlets for writers who can’t afford editors to send their work for review, according to Engel.
“If folks are calling it elitist to ban AI, I would say there are other programs not related to AI that can help them with their skills,” she said. “I worked in a building in Olathe where [typing for someone who can’t] was a service given by the district to a student who needed an adult to type for him.”
In the end, the increased dependence — and now acceptance — of using AI for one’s writing is incredibly worrying to Engel.
“Our ability to believe that technology is [at] a higher level than the human brain is concerning,” she said. “We were living, breathing, thinking, conversing, [and] writing without AI.”
