The secret ingredient for writing is... human. 🫣
Have you read a book recently that just felt off? The story is lining up and it’s technically “right”, but it feels completely lifeless. There’s a real possibility it’s because a robot wrote it. 🫣
Not the robots that make our coffee or vacuum under our couch, but ones that are trained to predict language, not invent it. AI is not just for tech people anymore… With tools like ChatGPT, Sudowrite, and Jasper anyone has access. The thing is AI doesn’t think or feel, it just guesses what sounds good next based on patterns it’s learned from the internet. And when you’re writing stories, especially for kids, you need the life experiences of joy, sorrow, and sarcasm after 5 cups of coffee and no sleep. That’s where the magic, humor, and heart come from. ✨
AI is not all doom and gloom. I’m not saying never use it, just that it has its place. It’s great for things like grammar and spell check, though I am learning that you cannot trust its use of commas. It’s helpful to organize tasks and ideas or get creativity flowing when you’re stuck. But if we rely on it for the whole process? That’s when things get… Predictable. Bland. BORING. 🥱 It’s a tool, not a writer. The moment we stop editing what AI generates, we lose the spark that turns words into magic.
Illustrations are not immune to this either. AI generators make beautiful images that look legit at a quick glance, but look closer and you will probably find an extra finger. Characters that feel flat, overly detailed but with the wrong textures or colors, changes in style or consistency through a book are all other signs of AI-produced images. As with writing, AI illustrations are missing what makes art meaningful… the humans behind them. ✍🏻
We’ve got enough content out there. What we need are stories with heart, from real people. 💕
- Tara, Charlee, and Charli Safari Team
More resources:
Authors Guild FAQ’s on AI - https://authorsguild.org/advocacy/artificial-intelligence/faq/
Authors Guild Surge of AI Books on Amazon - https://authorsguild.org/news/ai-driving-new-surge-of-sham-books-on-amazon/
U.S. Copyright Office on AI - https://copyright.gov/ai/Copyright-and-Artificial-Intelligence-Part-2-Copyrightability-Report.pdf
Medium How to Spot AI Images - https://roblaughter.medium.com/is-that-image-ai-here-are-14-telltale-signs-to-look-for-d40e5cff2d0a