National Novel Writing Month’s AI-neutral stance criticized by bestselling authors

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), the 25-year-old nonprofit organization that encourages anyone and everyone who has interest to draft a novel each year during the month of November, recently stirred significant debate by announcing it will accept the use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool in the writing process.

The decision, rooted in the belief that opposition to AI can be classist and ableist, has received mixed reactions, drawing both support and lots of criticism — including from bestselling established authors and former NaNoWriMo board members.

Yesterday, the organization published a statement on its website noting that it neither condemns nor exclusively endorses the technology. Instead, NaNoWriMo champions the freedom for writers to choose their own methods, whether they involve traditional approaches or AI tools.

“NaNoWriMo does not explicitly support any specific approach to writing, nor does it explicitly condemn any approach, including the use of AI,” the statement reads, later adding, “We believe that to categorically condemn AI would be to ignore classist and ableist issues surrounding the use of the technology, and that questions around the use of AI tie to questions around privilege.”

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Why NaNoWriMo supports AI for use in writing in some cases

The organization’s official statement highlights the complexity of AI as a broad technological category, making it difficult to entirely endorse or reject. It also underscores the social implications of AI use, suggesting that to oppose AI outright ignores the realities of class and ability disparities.

According to NaNoWriMo, some writers may turn to AI for practical reasons, such as financial constraints or cognitive challenges that make traditional writing methods less accessible.

As NaNoWriMo’s statement explains: “Not all writers have the financial ability to hire humans to help at certain phases of their writing. For some writers, the decision to use AI is a practical, not an ideological, one. The financial ability to engage a human for feedback and review assumes a level of privilege that not all community members possess.”

The organization also points out that underrepresented minorities are less likely to secure traditional publishing deals, which forces many into the indie author space where upfront costs can be prohibitive. AI tools, in these cases, might provide essential support that enables them to pursue their writing goals.

Bestselling authors lash out

However, the endorsement of AI has not been without controversy. Prominent voices in the writing community have expressed their displeasure with NaNoWriMo’s stance.

Urban fantasy author Daniel José Older, a former member of NaNoWriMo’s Writers Board, announced his resignation from the board in response to the organization’s pro-AI position.

“Never use my name in your promo again,” Older declared on social media, urging other writers to follow his lead.

Maureen Johnson, a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of young adult (YA) novels, also resigned from NaNoWriMo’s Writers’ Board of the Young Writers Program, citing concerns over how the organization might use writers’ work to train AI systems.

Other authors, including Adam Christopher and Bryan Young, criticized NaNoWriMo for what they perceive as an anti-art and anti-creativity stance, accusing the organization of promoting meaningless AI-generated content.

The backlash was further fueled by revelations that NaNoWriMo’s recent sponsors include companies offering AI software and writing tools, such as ProWritingAid.

ProWritingAid provides a suite of AI-powered tools designed to enhance writing, including grammar checking, sentence rephrasing, and a variety of writing reports. Its “AI Sparks” feature assists writers in overcoming writer’s block by generating text and adding sensory details or dialogue.

This sponsorship has led to suspicions and criticism from those who view the endorsement as influenced by financial incentives rather than a purely ethical stance.

NaNoWriMo also collaborates with writing software like Scrivener, which integrates AI tools like ProWritingAid to help users access AI writing and editing features within their environment. Other platforms like Dabble, Storyist, and Ninja Writers, while not inherently AI-focused, support the integration of AI tools, allowing writers to enhance their work using external AI services.

In contrast, another sponsor, Freewrite remains focused on providing distraction-free writing devices, emphasizing traditional writing processes without AI integration.

In response to the criticism, NaNoWriMo acknowledged the existence of unethical practices within the AI space but maintained that its stance is driven by a desire to support all writers, regardless of their chosen methods. The organization reiterated its commitment to providing resources and information about AI to its community, noting that events related to AI have been well-attended, indicating strong interest among participants.

As AI continues to evolve and its role in creative processes becomes more prominent, NaNoWriMo’s position could serve as a bellwether for how other organizations and individuals approach the integration of AI into creative fields. For enterprise decision-makers, especially those in publishing and creative industries, NaNoWriMo’s stance might offer valuable insights as they navigate the ethical and practical implications of AI in their own operations.

NaNoWriMo’s position ultimately reflects a broader debate within the writing community—is AI a tool on the order of a word processor or search engine, one primarily directed by humans, or is it a morally and ethically compromised technology built from copyrighted works without permission, which critics equate with theft? For now, it seems, leading authors are coalescing around the latter position.