AI Could Help Writers Conquer Creative Block, States Publishing Chief

Authors could more and more turn to artificial intelligence to help them overcome creative stagnation, as stated by a leading publishing executive.

The chief executive of the publisher responsible for the bestselling Harry Potter series commented that artificial intelligence could enhance the vast majority of artistic fields, although it will not completely substitute well-known authors.

"In my view, AI will probably support creativity, as it will enable the 8 billion people worldwide to get started in a creative field in which they could have been reluctant previously," he said.

"Artificial intelligence gets them going and writes the first paragraph or beginning of the book, helping them return to a productive state," he continued. "And, it can perform analogous tasks in painting, songwriting, and in nearly every artistic disciplines."

Potential Issues with AI-Created Writing

That said, the executive warned that a challenge could develop if AI is employed to create full-length books. Still, he emphasized that audiences eventually prefer books created by renowned authors.

"We are programmed in our nature to feel secure by the authority and reliability of recognizable names, and this holds true particularly to the identities of prominent authors," he observed.

"We can expect some shoddy content circulating, so people will look more to reliable outlets for peace of mind," he concluded.

Latest Results in the Publishing Industry

Sales for the publishing house have been boosted in the past few years by a lineup of well-known authors, such as a popular fantasy writer whose popularity has surged on digital platforms.

This writer behind the bestselling "romantasy" book series has sold in excess of 70 million books of her titles in English around the world. Every one of her books are issued by the company.

Last week, the company, which is headquartered in the UK and has about one thousand staff, experienced a stock increase of nearly ten percent in a 24-hour period following it disclosed a 20% jump in revenue in its academic division in the first half-year of its financial year, primarily because of an artificial intelligence licensing deal.

Challenges in the General Public Sector

That said, income in its consumer division declined by approximately 20%, mainly because of the non-appearance of a latest book from the bestselling writer.

Writers and Artificial Intelligence: A Complex Relationship

Although the executive suggested that artificial intelligence might help beginning writers, many well-known writers have had disputes with AI developers in recent years.

In September, an AI company agreed to pay one and a half billion dollars to resolve a group lawsuit in the US filed by book authors who claimed that the firm utilized illegally obtained versions of their works to educate its chatbot.