ChatGPT became available to the public on Nov. 30, 2022. I’ve given that date a name: the Curation/Generation AI Boundary (C/G Boundary). The C/G Boundary marks the transition from a time when AI was predominantly used to curate and organize preexisting content to a period characterized by AI’s capability to autonomously generate content and solutions. Prior to the C/G Boundary, any content you found on the public web had a 99 percent chance of being created by (or with the heavy hand of) a human. Each day after the C/G Boundary, a time we can call the Generative Era (GE), you are less and less likely to find content solely written by a human being.
We are about 2.5 years into the GE, and one thing is clear: humans are no longer the sole writers of human history.
With that in mind, the Authors Guild – the nation’s oldest and largest professional organization for published writers – has launched the Human Authored Certification, which allows an author to certify that their book is created by a human. "Human Authored" means that the text of the book was written by a human and not generated by AI, with the exception of minimal or trivial uses (such as AI applications that check spelling and grammar or for brainstorming or research).
The Human Authored Certification is currently available exclusively to the 15,000 members of the Authors Guild. It applies to books written by a single author, with plans to expand the program to include works by multiple authors and non-Guild members in the future.
According to guild CEO Mary Rasenberger, "The Human Authored initiative isn’t about rejecting technology — it’s about creating transparency, acknowledging the reader’s desire for human connection, and celebrating the uniquely human elements of storytelling.” She added: “Authors can still qualify if they use AI as a tool for spell-checking or research, but the certification connotes that the literary expression itself, with the unique human voice that every author brings to their writing, emanated from the human intellect."
I'm not sure how I feel about this. "Human Authored" is not a quality certification; it's a verification of human authorship. While it may assure readers that the content was crafted by a human, it doesn't necessarily speak to the work's literary merit or quality.
What do you think about this?
As always your thoughts and comments are both welcome and encouraged. Just reply to this email. -s
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Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.
