Statement on AI Use at POP Editorial Services LLC

My approach to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is one of caution. I am deeply concerned by the ethical considerations that accompany AI use. The climate and economic impacts, on top of the inherent bias and the troubled beginnings of AI, leave me wondering if there is any ethical way to employ AI. (Read my blog post about AI and Ethics for more details.)

Nevertheless, I work in an ever-changing industry. When I began my internship with NTC/Contemporary Books in 1999, copyediting was still done on hard copy with a red pencil and Post-it Notes. Book projects were proofread not once, but twice, on hard copy, before they were published. Social media wasn't even a thing.

Today, many more tools are available to help us make our writing error free. All copyediting is done electronically. Proofreading, if it happens, is also performed electronically. And more and more of those tools come preloaded with some kind of AI assistant. Attempts to be intentional with AI use can quickly be foiled.

Currently, I do not use AI in my editing. All editing is conducted by me personally. I may occasionally use AI-enabled tools to help with administrative tasks, such as researching competing titles, scheduling meetings, or developing keywords for self-publishers. My guiding principle is to be as intentional as possible when using the tools available to me.

I will never upload any author's work to an AI platform without their express written permission to do so. I will discuss with my clients any AI use before work begins. Should we determine that using AI is in the best interest of the author and project, I will provide a disclosure statement with the completed project describing how and why AI was used.

There may come a time when the efficiency gains from using AI outweigh the other concerns. For some editors, that time is now. For myself, I believe the AI companies have a lot of work to do to improve both the quality of their products and the climate and economic impacts of their technology before I will use AI with regularity.

I encourage all authors to have an open and honest discussion about AI with their editors. Work through your own AI policy and decide what level of use you are comfortable with. The Poynter Institute has an excellent, free course to help you. Then communicate that policy to the people you will be working with.

I further encourage you to advocate for yourself with your government and with the companies you patronize. If we tell the companies we want a better product with fewer negative impacts, we can get that. I believe technology should support its users, not supplant them. 

Questions About This Statement?

Please visit my Contact page to reach out with any questions or comments about this statement. I look forward to hearing from you!