Update to Rule 13 – AI-Generated Writing > Likes and Comments

Rule 13 states that books which include AI-generated writing are not permitted in the reading rounds.

To help enforce Rule 13 and maintain the group's focus on human-authored books, we are introducing an additional screening step for new submissions.

For books first published in 2023 or later, authors will be asked to provide a PDF or Word copy of their book when submitting it to the group. This will be via the online sign-up form.

Moderators may use AI-detection tools alongside their own assessment when reviewing submissions. If a submission raises concerns, it will be discussed by the moderation team before any action is taken.

We're aware of the limitations of AI detection techniques, and recognize there's at least a small possibility legitimate work might be flagged. If a submission raises concerns--whether through AI detection, well-known AI writing patterns, or other factors--we will review it carefully and fairly before making a decision. Our goal is simply to uphold the standards of the group while treating every author with respect and giving the benefit of reasonable doubt whenever appropriate.

Where the moderation team concludes that a book contains AI-generated writing, books may be declined and blacklisted. Repeated submission of books containing AI-generated writing may result in removal from the group.

If you have submitted a book you know contains AI writing in the past, please do the right thing and refrain from entering that book in a future review round.

If you've listed a book in the One for One Review List thread that features AI text, you'll also need to have it removed, or swapped out with a book that doesn't feature AI writing.

"Moderators may use AI-detection tools" AI- detection tools are AI.

Bill wrote: "...AI- detection tools are AI."

Yes they are. And are known for errors. They're only as "good" as their LLM - and there's no telling what they were trained on. (They too often don't say.)

Yeah, respectfully, I am not a big fan of using this or worrying about it. I don't use AI for my writing, but I can see where this would be just another barrier and headache for the group and the moderators. Just my humble 2 cents. Thanks for what you guys do, though. I appreciate you.

For what its worth, I approve of this measure. It's one of the reasons I lean into humor in my stories. I figure it will be one of the last things AI does well.

Bill wrote: ""Moderators may use AI-detection tools" AI- detection tools are AI."

We are well aware of that.

There are appropriate uses for AI, and inappropriate uses for AI. Police use facial recognition to search through thousands of faces when human eyes would take much longer. Doctors use AI to help them find possible cancer. Those are both appropriate uses for AI. Dishonest students use AI to generate their essays, then turn them in expecting a grade for work they did not do. This is an inappropriate use. Inappropriate uses utilize deception. Appropriate uses do not.


Please note this paragraph as well: Gene wrote: "We're aware of the limitations of AI detection techniques, and recognize there's at least a small possibility legitimate work might be flagged. If a submission raises concerns--whether through AI detection, well-known AI writing patterns, or other factors--we will review it carefully and fairly before making a decision. Our goal is simply to uphold the standards of the group while treating every author with respect and giving the benefit of reasonable doubt whenever appropriate."

I think the best way to prove you haven't used generative AI in your writing is to be able to show your writing process. If anyone wishes to question my writing, I can provide over 330 Word docs showing how I wrote HEAD and over 200 so far for my next novel!

Any takers? Didn't think so! Hence the use of AI detectors, which I'm sure will become super accurate.

Gene wrote: "...For books first published in 2023 or later, authors will be asked to provide a PDF or Word copy of their book when submitting it to the group. This will be via the online sign-up form...."

Questions...
If it's the same book that we've entered into a previous round, and it's been "cleared" for that previous round, do we then still have to provide a copy for new rounds?

And, if we're providing the mod upfront with a PDF copy of the book, will that eliminate the need to share our email addresses with everyone in the round, i.e. the mod can just send the copy to any of our reviewers who need a review copy?

Since there have been recent accusations of AI books in the rounds, books from 2023 and later will have to be cleared when signing up, even if they've appeared in previous rounds. Once your book has been cleared, you could state that in the sign-up form (providing a link to the previous round it was in would be appreciated).

Sending out the review copies to the other reviewers will remain the same. I imagine most of the mods will be deleting the copies after we check them for AI.

Doesn't Amazon allow AI books to be published on their site anyway? Lol. I thought only AI reviews were in violation of Amazon's terms. I'm just surprised anyone is super worried about this from our end. It seems random and like another hurdle for moderators and everyone else to have to jump through, for no real value or return. I'm not trying to be rude. I just find it all kind of strange. Like, what is the point of worrying about all this, when Amazon itself doesn't even care about AI usage? Am I missing something? Or is this just a moral stand about the issue in general? I guess everyone has made up their minds, so we can see how it goes, but I don't even understand the point of wasting time on this, when Amazon doesn't even care. You can still leave a review about the quality of a book's writing, putting whatever you think about it, whether it seems like AI or human written.

The problem is people passing off the work of AI as human created. Even Amazon requires disclosure of AI written content.

Bill, your comment was removed from this thread, due to lack of civility. Please refrain from personal attacks or hostility.

While we welcome comments, they need to remain civil.

For the vast majority of people participating, the only change will be adding a link to the sign-up form. If you're in good standing now, I can't imagine you won't stay that way. There also isn't much preventing someone from spamming the board with AI content now, most likely someone registering a new account, so we'll have to navigate a way forward.

This isn't going to be a witch hunt. We're not looking to ensnare an innocent em-dash enthusiast. Moderators are following the same rules as anyone else.

The rules have always allowed AI book covers and interior art. That hasn't changed. Rule 13 has always specified AI text only, and enough AI patterns exist now to do some filtering before a round begins. That's all this is.

Gene is correct.

Moderators are held to the same standards as others, and the text of books we have written, published 2023 or later, will be held to the same accountability.