I saw this discussion in The Pitt tag recently so I just want everyone to know this.
What do I do if I think a fic uses generative AI?
Don’t interact with it, and don’t post about it by name.
No, I’m serious. You really think an author on AO3/Tumblr/your fanfiction website of choice is using AI for their fics? Block them, mute the author, move on. Don’t comment, don’t say anything. Just keep on trucking.
Unless you have physical, genuine testimony that an author is using AI, you can’t report them for improper tagging. You also never actually know if an author is using AI because generative AI is trained on our scraped data. Sometimes an author just uses common phrases, or odd metaphors, or is simply inexperienced.
Do not start a witch hunt. Do not start thinly vague posting. Do not throw accusations out there. You wanna know what the number one thing you can do to combat generative AI usage in fandom spaces?
Interact with your authors.
Comment, kudos, like, reblog on fics new and especially old. Follow the WIP and get excited when it updates a year later. Go to their Tumblr and tell them you like their work. Ask them about their fics. Start a dialogue. Authors generally love to talk about what they write, give them a space to.
Writing is hard, and we as folks engaging with fandom and with fanfiction can make it worth their while by telling fic writers thank you. By letting them know we appreciate them. Going to their page and not just reading and moving on, but by putting in the extra effort to help them feel genuinely loved by the fandom.
Trying to go after people you think might potentially be using generative AI will get real writers caught in the crossfire. Instead, go send some kind words and questions to your favorite authors today. Who knows? Maybe they’ll post soon, just because you told them you were excited.
