I understand that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in creative work is an emotive subject and that writers have strong views on the matter. I founded BubbleCow as a writer, and I share these concerns.
My goal has always been transparency, honesty, and respect for each writer’s creative process. I believe the key issue with AI is one of consent and clarity... not simply whether AI is used, but how it’s used and what the writer is told.
My Position on AI in Editing
I’m fully aware that, over the coming years, AI tools will become increasingly common in both copyediting and, to some extent, developmental editing. While these tools have potential, they also pose challenges for writers; particularly when they’re used without the writer’s knowledge or consent.
For me, there are two situations that are simply unacceptable:
- Non-human feedback: When a writer expects genuine 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.
Writers deserve to know exactly how their manuscripts are being handled and who, or what, is reading them.
My Commitment
- No AI-generated editorial feedback: I do 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, for some unforseen reason, I ever decide to use AI to assist in editorial feedback in the future, I will first seek the writer’s explicit written permission.
- Limited and ethical use of AI tools: AI technology may be used internally to help me organise or refine editorial notes, but never to replace human judgement. This might include using AI to structure my 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 real, human editors.
My commitment is simple: your manuscript, your words, your consent.
AI in Blog Posts
I sometimes use AI-generated images within BubbleCow blog posts. These visuals are created to complement the content and help illustrate ideas more effectively.