Half of surveyed UK novelists fear AI could replace their work entirely, report says
A University of Cambridge report led by Clementine Collett reveals that 51% of surveyed UK novelists believe generative AI will likely replace their fiction-writing work entirely. Additionally, 39% of respondents stated that generative AI has already reduced their income, and 85% expect their future earnings to decline. The study, published in association with the Institute for the Future of…
Key points
- A Cambridge survey found 51% of participating UK novelists fear AI will eventually replace their fiction-writing work entirely.
- Already, 39% of surveyed writers report income losses, and 85% expect future earnings to decline due to generative AI.
- Of the 59% of novelists who knew their work trained AI, 99% did not give permission and none received payment.
The economic impact extends beyond book sales, as many authors rely on freelance copywriting or translation work that is rapidly drying up. The report also highlights copyright concerns, with 59% of novelists knowing their work was used to train AI models; of those, 99% did not give permission and 100% received no payment. While 80% of respondents agree AI offers societal benefits, 97% feel extremely negative about AI writing entire novels.
Half of surveyed UK novelists fear AI could replace their work entirely
thebrighterside.news · 5 October 2026
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