AI and Children's Books

Increasing Challenges to Authors' Income and Creativity

As you're likely aware, the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to expand its capabilities. As we've previously discussed in our newsletters, there are both positive and negative aspects to this trend. Utilizing AI to enhance the quality of literary works is undoubtedly beneficial. However, the prospect of AI generating entirely new works from scratch raises concerns.

One such example is Fable, an online platform employing AI to craft written stories and generate accompanying images, particularly for children's picture books. While the current capabilities of these systems are somewhat limited, the notion of producing books without the involvement of writers and graphic designers is unsettling. Despite the quality of the content and imagery produced by these systems, the potential reduction in opportunities for authors and designers is significant.

It's worth noting that while major publishing entities like Amazon and Ingram are beginning to explore the integration of AI, the accessibility of platforms like Fable, where anyone can create children's books for ages zero to eight based on existing templates, is particularly concerning.

Authors already face challenges in sustaining their livelihoods amidst the corporate dynamics prevalent in the publishing industry. Losing sales to AI-generated content further exacerbates this struggle.

We're witnessing the emergence of AI-authored fictional stories, poetry, and non-fiction works, and it begs the question: Will any genre remain untouched by AI?

This directly impacts your income as an author. What proactive measures will you take to address the diminishing returns on your passion and hard work?  Tell us your thoughts and ideas at [email protected]