Sci-fi publisher Clarkesworld has announced it will no longer accept pitches from authors, citing a deluge of AI-generated stories as the reason for its decision.
The award-winning magazine, which was founded in 2006 and is one of the most respected publications in science fiction, made the announcement on its website earlier this week. In a statement, editor Neil Clarke said that while he had been “impressed” by some of the AI-generated stories he had seen recently, they were becoming too common and taking up too much space in his inbox.
“We have decided to temporarily halt all submissions until we can better assess how these new technologies are impacting our industry,” Clarke wrote. “We want to ensure that any story published under our banner is created by an actual human being.”
Clarke went on to explain that although AI technology has advanced significantly over recent years, it still cannot match the creativity and imagination of a real person when it comes to writing compelling stories. He also noted that many publishers are now using AI tools to generate content quickly and cheaply – something which could potentially lead to a decrease in quality across the board if not managed properly.
In addition to halting submissions from authors, Clarkesworld also announced plans for an internal review process which will be used to evaluate any potential stories generated by artificial intelligence before they are accepted for publication. This review process will involve both human editors and machine learning algorithms working together in order to ensure only high quality work makes it into print or online editions of their magazine.
This move marks yet another step forward for artificial intelligence within publishing circles; however there remains significant debate about whether or not such technology should be used at all given its potential implications for writers’ livelihoods and creative freedom. Some argue that using AI tools could help reduce costs associated with producing content while others worry about what this might mean for traditional methods of storytelling going forward – particularly when considering how difficult it can be for humans alone compete against machines capable of churning out vast amounts of material at lightning speed without rest or fatigue!
Whatever your opinion may be on this matter though one thing is certain: Clarkesworld’s decision shows just how seriously they take their commitment towards providing readers with only top notch sci-fi tales crafted entirely by hand! It remains unclear exactly when they plan on reopening submissions but until then fans can look forward more great reads coming soon thanks largely due diligence taken here today!
The Guardian
