AI-written novel can be your creation after 20 rounds of iteration, argues Timothy Lee
binarybits · x · 2026-10-20
Ars Technica senior editor Timothy Lee (binarybits) weighs in on AI authorship. Counter to the objection "if I ask a human friend to write a novel about talking clouds, it's not my creation," he argues: if you give feedback over 20 rounds—silver clouds, better dialogue, add a talking-birds subplot—the result is much more your creation even if the AI typed the words.
He extends the analogy to photography: snapshotting breakfast isn't creative, but professional photographers put real thought into getting the best results from a camera that just copies scenes.
Related event: Ars Technica's Timothy Lee Defends AI-Assisted Creation as Real Authorship(5 posts)→
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