Statement on the Use of AI in Literary Fiction
From the Editor, respectfully submitted
The staff, editors and authors of Lamplighter Press, collectively “Lamplighter”, are universally against the generation and distribution of literary works through any form of so-called artificial intelligence (AI). The following is a statement of Lamplighter’s stand on this evolving topic.
(1) Collectively, literature is nothing less than the memorializing of human memory and experience. It is a sacred domain that should not be intruded upon by machine logic or artificial constructions. A machine cannot experience, so by definition it cannot contribute to the field of literature.
(2) Behind the gate of great literature stands a host of writers of integrity. Their voices—which are that of human beings—are often as important as the substance of their work. AI generated literature is not literature for it has no integrity. It is by definition artificial. It is not art. It is artifice, and cannot coexist or stand alongside the work of Oscar Wilde or Gunther Grass or Yukio Mishima, to name a few.
(3) Literature, particularly good literature, is often the author’s attempt to comprehend and explain the world at a specific point in time. It is a historical document imbued with unique personal experiences and observations. Inherent in it is insight and perspective. This medium, where one human being shares meaning to another through written language, is a unique form of communication and must remain segregated from false literature, that which is without history or real-world perspective.
(4) Where AI can be useful is in route tasks, such as spelling and punctuation checks. It is also acceptable to use AI in the production of manuals, contracts and simple informational texts.
(5) Lamplighter will never pass off artificial language as that of a real author. We will neither review nor accept any work which contains machine content. The purpose of AI generated literature is at best the deception of the public.
