10,000 authors launch book listing names of AI training victims
About 10,000 authors have joined forces to protest AI companies training systems on their books without permission.
Their message? A new book called Don't Steal This Book, launched today at the London Book Fair, lists every participating author and acts as an open letter to the UK government.
Book only has authors' names
Organized by composer and campaigner Ed Newton-Rex, the book contains only a list of contributing authors' names, including writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro and Marian Keyes.
It calls out how generative AI uses writers' work without asking or paying them, urging lawmakers to step in.
Authors hope to bring change
The protest follows major lawsuits over AI training on copyrighted books.
Organizer Ed Newton-Rex summed it up: "This is not a victimless crime - generative AI competes with the people whose work it is trained on, robbing them of their livelihoods."
Authors hope this push will spark real changes as UK copyright laws come up for review next week.