AI & LITERATURE
Research, Education, and Responsible Practice
It is not about AI writing texts instead of writers. It is about exploring how writers can navigate AI integration with autonomy, ethical frameworks, and personal integrity intact.
Through research and education, we examine writers’ real concerns about AI – from unauthorized training data use to economic pressures – and develop frameworks for informed, responsible engagement with these technologies for literary work.
Programme
Edinburgh Futures Institute
Status
Active research and pilot educational programs
Focus Areas
Research | Education | Ethical Frameworks
Why This Initiative Exists
Large language models are most powerful in text — the very medium that defines literary work. This creates a unique situation for writers: AI isn’t just a supporting tool, but technology operating in their natural creative space.
This intersection brings profound challenges:
- Unauthorized use of literary works in AI training datasets
- Economic uncertainty as AI-generated content floods markets
- Questions of authenticity and authorship
- Pressure to adopt technologies without clear ethical or legal frameworks
Writers across countries share these concerns. Our initiative creates space for informed decision-making, not technology promotion.
Our Approach: Autonomy, Not Automation
This initiative does not encourage AI to replace human authors.
Instead, we support writers to:
- Understand what AI actually can and cannot do – beyond hype or fear
- Develop personal ethical frameworks for deciding if, when, and how AI enters their practice
- Access legal clarity on copyright, licensing, and authorship
- Maintain creative agency while navigating technological change
We work with literary communities, not on them. Our research listens first. Our educational programs respond to real needs.
Research
Czech Writers’ Attitudes Toward AI (2025)
In collaboration with Edinburgh Futures Institute, TAH conducted the first comprehensive study of Czech writers’ attitudes toward AI (August–October 2025, 73 respondents).
Key Findings:
93% have experience with AI, but use it pragmatically — for research (67%) and brainstorming (54%), not for writing itself
Primary concerns are ethical and legal — unauthorized text use, declining fees, legal ambiguities around authorship
Writers see AI as potential assistant, not co-creator — unwilling to let it into the core creative process
65% want personal methodologies for responsible AI use; only 5% want AI to help write texts
Conclusion:
Writers don’t ignore AI, but approach it with caution and critical distance. They seek education that provides practical skills and ethical-legal frameworks for sustainable integration.
Download Study
Citation:
Piorecký, K. et al. (2025). Postoje českého spisovatelstva k AI: Dotazníkové šetření mezi českými literárními profesionály. TAH Centre in collaboration with Edinburgh Futures Institute. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Education
AI & Literature: A Responsible Guide for Literary Practice
Based on research findings, we developed an educational program addressing writers’ real needs.
Format
4-week online course (4 × 90 minutes)
Language
Czech (pilot), expanding to English and other languages
Target Audience
Writers, translators, editors, screenwriters, narrative designers
- Understanding AI capabilities and limitations realistically
- Developing personal ethical frameworks for AI use
- Practical prompting techniques and tool navigation
- Legal clarity on copyright, licensing, and authorship
- Personal working guide – a modular document tailored to individual needs
The pilot course in Czech is available through TAH Impact Academy.
Partnership & Expansion
This initiative began as a partnership between TAH Centre and Edinburgh Futures Institute, with potential for international expansion.
We welcome partners — research institutions, literary organizations, and educational platforms — interested in:
Conducting similar research in their linguistic/cultural contexts
Co-developing educational programs
Contributing to ethical frameworks for AI in creative practice
Our role is not to convince writers to adopt AI, but to create informed space where they can make autonomous decisions about their creative practice – with full awareness of technological realities, ethical implications, and legal protections.
