Half of novelists think AI will replace their work, with romance most at risk

More than half of published novelists in the UK believe artificial intelligence could eventually replace their work entirely, according to a new report from the University of Cambridge.

- Emma Loffhagen

The study, conducted for the university's Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, suggests widespread unease about the speed and scale of Al's advance into the literary world.

The research surveyed 258 published novelists and 74 industry figures including editors and agents. Just over half of the novelists (51%) said AI was likely to end up entirely replacing their work.

Many participants reported that their work had already been used without their permission to train large language models, and more than a third (39%) said their income had fallen as a result of generative AI. A large majority also expected their earnings to decline further.