Writing with machines, owning your voice, and where the ethical lines are drawn

We’ve crossed a threshold. What used to be the stuff of speculative fiction is now a line item in the writing process: AI is here, and it’s shaping how we write, revise and even brainstorm.

But with the rise of tools like ChatGPT, Sudowrite and Claude, a wave of questions has followed. If a machine helped shape a chapter, is it still your voice? If it tightened your prose or fed you metaphors, do you owe your reader an explanation? And most fundamentally—how much help is too much?

By 2025, these questions will no longer be theoretical. They’re literary, legal, and deeply personal. Some are embracing that, but many others see it as deeply damaging.

How AI is being used—and where the lines blur

Writers are experimenting, and the tools are getting better. AI can now:

• Summarise a messy first draft

• Suggest alternate structures

• Offer metaphor or word choice ideas

• Generate blurbs or loglines

Used well, these tools are accelerants. They can help shape tone or clarify ideas. But when AI begins to replace core parts of your writing—plotting, characterisation, voice—that’s when the creative integrity gets murky.

That’s why publishers like Wiley and author groups like the US Authors Guild are drawing clear lines: disclose when AI is involved, and don’t let it do the writing for you.

Five creative and ethical questions to ask before using AI:

1. What was this tool trained on?

Many models scraped books without consent. Are you comfortable building from that?

2. Am I still the author?

If AI reshaped your narrative structure or tone, where does your voice end and the machine begin?

3. Would my readers want to know?

Increasingly, transparency is becoming a trust signal. If you’re using AI, even in a minimal way, consider disclosing it.

4. Whose voices are being sidelined?

Studies suggest AI underrepresents or flattens queer, Black, disabled and non-Western voices. Be mindful of what’s missing.

5. Is this saving me time—or erasing my style?

AI prose can be slick. However, it often lacks rhythm, surprise, and voice—the very things readers connect with.

Using AI wisely and transparently

If you do use AI, here are ways to keep the process honest and sustainable:

• Use it to spark ideas, not to write your book.

• Track its involvement. Keep notes on what came from AI versus your edits.

• Think about disclosure. You don’t need a full breakdown—but a brief note builds trust.

• Support human-authored labels. Certification schemes like “Human Authored” are beginning to surface as badges of honour.

• Stay connected to your craft. If the writing starts to feel too easy, take a step back and check for voice drift.

For writers and readers: trust is the currency

Readers still care about voice, authenticity and intent. If we lose that—if we let AI hollow out the art—it’s not just about plagiarism or policy. It’s about meaning.

Tangled Prose readers are thoughtful. Curious. Committed to writing and reading as acts of expression. The rise of AI doesn’t need to be a threat—but it does demand reflection. In a world of machine-made sentences, your voice is more valuable than ever.

Let me know if you’d like accompanying newsletter blurbs, Instagram captions or TikTok scripts for either post.