A small thing you can do to help authors

I am exhausted and outraged that instead of grieving my dog and living my life, today I need to write. Not write for fun. Not write my next novel. Not write something that resonates with me.

No. Instead, I am writing because generative AI, which was trained on my stolen work, on copyrighted books that I did not consent to be used in that way, has made its way to Goodreads. They’re using AI to summarize reviews. As if the people on Goodreads weren’t readers who want to read real people’s reviews.

Not only does this harm authors by potentially misrepresenting our books (AI is notorious for seeding incorrect information into its summaries), but it’s also offensive as hell to use a machine built on my stolen work on a site that is supposed to be about readers sharing with other readers. Leaving reviews. Making wishlists. Finding books.

So today I have an ask that can make a difference. Let’s flood Goodreads with complaints. Let them know readers don’t want them to use technology that harms authors. Let them know you don’t need AI to read reviews for you.

You can write to them via their contact page. Here’s some wording if you aren’t sure what to say:

Dear GR team,

As a long-time user of Goodreads, I am deeply disturbed by your decision to use AI to summarize reader reviews.

Generative AI is illegally trained on the work of the very authors who make this platform possible with no compensation to them and without their consent. As a website built for readers and authors, I ask in the strongest terms possible that you remove this offensive new feature. It does not align with the values of your site’s users, including myself.

That’s all before we even mention the environmental consequences, the power grid issues, the water shortages, and the uneven impact on marginalized communities that generative AI creates.

Goodreads is a site that is for readers and authors. Generative AI has no place here. I sincerely hope you will reconsider the use of it before you lose your users and the goodwill we have built with the site.

Thank you for your support, my lovely readers.