We understand that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in creative work is an emotive subject and that writers have strong views on the matter. BubbleCow was founded by writers, and we share these concerns.
At BubbleCow, our goal has always been transparency, honesty, and respect for the writer’s creative process. We believe that the key issue with AI is one of consent and clarity; not simply whether AI is used, but how it is used and what the writer is told.
Our Position on AI in Editing
We are aware that over the coming years, AI tools will become increasingly common for both copyediting and, to some extent, developmental editing. While these tools have potential, they also pose challenges for writers—particularly when used without their knowledge.
For us, there are two key situations that we feel are unacceptable:
- Non-human feedback: When a writer expects human editorial insight but instead receives AI-generated feedback.
- Lack of permission: When an editor uploads a writer’s manuscript into an AI system (such as ChatGPT or another large language model) without the writer’s explicit consent.
We believe writers deserve to know how their manuscripts are being handled and who, or what, is reading them.
Our Commitment
- No AI-generated editorial feedback: BubbleCow does not use AI systems to produce editorial feedback for writers. At no point is a writer’s manuscript uploaded into a large language model such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini.
- Future use only with consent: If, in the future, we were to use AI to assist in editorial feedback, we would first seek the writer’s explicit written permission.
- Limited and ethical use of AI tools: AI technology may be used internally to help organise or refine editorial notes, never to replace human judgement. This might include using AI to structure an editor’s own feedback or check clarity, but never to analyse or interpret a writer’s manuscript directly.
All editorial assessments and feedback you receive from BubbleCow are written by human editors.
Our commitment is simple: your manuscript, your words, your consent.