I don’t know, I’d rather live in a fandom where I get fooled by an AI fic every once in a while than one with a culture of witch hunts that has everyone looking over their shoulder.
Both AI-generated-fanfic and anti-AI-witch-hunts are disgusting and antithetical to what fandom should be, but only one of them will cause direct harm to people who may not deserve it and have a chilling effect on fandom’s culture as a whole.
I feel just as upset and disgusted as anyone by the idea of people churning out soulless machine-produced “fan”fic as if it’s mere Content™. I’m even concerned by the idea of people using it to “beta” their fics instead of making fandom friends to do that with them. All of that is degrading this space we love so much, and which lately feels like the last part of the internet that hasn’t been swallowed by capitalism. But for the love of god, if you want to do something about this, please put that energy into something constructive. There is so much grassroots work to be done. If the scourge of AI infuriates and scares you, do some actual organizing, not fandom policing that will eat us all from the inside out. Channel your fury into joining DSA or supporting local unions or getting involved in the many grassroots movements pushing back on AI and every corporate interest it represents.
What we need right now is community and connection. A lack of it is what AI is preying on. Don’t let them tear us apart here too.
