Copyright rests upon a human mind making choices and when the writer uses Artificial intelligence (AI) to assist rather than to replace thought, authorship remains intact.
The written word has entered a strange and exciting age. The quill gave way to the typewriter, the typewriter to the computer, and now the computer to something more conversational. Large language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, DeepSeek and Grok have become companions at the writer’s desk. They think, rephrase, suggest, and sometimes even surprise.
The question now arises: when a human and a machine co-create, who truly writes? And more importantly, is it lawful, ethical, or in any way a criminal act?
Writers have always used tools to shape imagination. The printing press once caused fear among scribes who thought it might destroy art. Word processors were once accused of making writing soulless. Artificial intelligence continues that long argument between craft and convenience. Yet the law, ethics, and creative ownership are now entangled in new ways that deserve careful thought.
The Legal Landscape: Between Assistance and Authorship
From a legal perspective, using an AI tool to create or refine a book is not an offence. In most jurisdictions, an author is defined as the person who makes creative decisions and controls the final form of the work. If the writer plans, edits, and structures the narrative, the law recognises that writer as the creator, even if the tool provided language or ideas along the way.
AI systems are considered instruments, not authors. Their output cannot own copyright because they do not possess human intention or consciousness. Copyright rests upon a human mind making choices that reflect personal judgement and creativity. When the writer uses AI to assist rather than to replace thought, authorship remains intact.
There are, however, boundaries. If a writer were to copy directly from copyrighted material generated by another person or to use AI to imitate a living author’s unique style without permission, legal disputes might arise. Likewise, plagiarism remains an offence, even if performed by algorithmic means. The principle is simple: originality must belong to the human guiding the process.
Ethical Dimensions: The Spirit Behind the Words
The ethical question reaches deeper than the legal one. It touches the integrity of creation itself. Should a writer declare the use of AI? Should readers know when a book has been co-shaped by machine intelligence?
Transparency has become an emerging virtue in the literary world. Disclosing AI assistance does not diminish a writer’s art. On the contrary, it reflects honesty about method and respect for readers’ trust. Some authors acknowledge this collaboration in their preface, often in words that celebrate rather than conceal the partnership.
Ethics also demand vigilance against overreliance. The best writing still requires the pulse of emotion and the weight of reflection that no machine can fully mimic. AI can refine grammar, suggest metaphors, or even imitate tone, but it cannot feel the pain of a broken heart or the thrill of an awakening mind. The writer’s duty is therefore to remain the moral and emotional centre of the text. The machine may assist, but it cannot replace the self.
Criminal Concerns: When Technology Crosses the Line
Legally speaking, there is no criminal offence in using AI tools for creative work. The law does not punish the act of co-writing with an algorithm. However, criminal implications could arise if the AI is used to commit acts such as fraud, defamation, or deliberate misinformation.
For instance, publishing an AI-generated work under someone else’s name or using it to spread harmful content could fall under existing laws governing identity theft or malicious communication. These issues are rare in literary practice but worth understanding. The criminal question is not about the machine; it is about the intent behind its use. A tool becomes dangerous only when guided by deception or harm.
Creativity and Responsibility: A New Covenant
Writers who use AI now live in a time of transition. They are the bridge between human tradition and machine intelligence. The act of writing is no longer a solitary dialogue between mind and paper; it has become a conversation between consciousness and code.
This new relationship demands responsibility. It asks writers to remain thoughtful curators of the ideas that flow through the digital channel. The final work must still bear the mark of human insight, emotion, and moral sense. True creativity lies not in the words themselves but in the meaning we choose to give them.
The Future of Literary Legitimacy
Publishing houses, universities, and creative communities are still building their rules for AI-assisted writing. Some ask for formal disclosure. Others treat it as no different from using an advanced editing tool. What remains constant is the need for clarity. As long as the writer maintains control, claims honest authorship, and respects intellectual property, AI becomes a legitimate partner, not a threat.
It is wise to view artificial intelligence not as a rival to human creativity but as an extension of it. Just as the camera did not kill painting, the algorithm will not kill the pen. It may, however, ask the pen to think differently about what it means to create.
Conclusion: The Soul Behind the Syntax
To write with AI is not to surrender art but to explore a new form of dialogue. It is lawful, ethical, and intellectually rich when guided by awareness and integrity. The criminal law does not frown upon imagination that uses new tools; it frowns only upon dishonesty and harm.
In the end, every story, even one shaped by digital minds, must still find its soul in human hands. The algorithm may help with words, but meaning remains the province of the heart. Writers who use AI ethically and thoughtfully will not only stay within the law but also enrich the literature of our time — turning technology from mere machinery into a mirror for human truth.
p.s. Large Language Models are used for content creation.
Ranjan Das
Patkai Christian College