The NaNoWriMo Debacle and the Problem of AI Morality
Don’t mess with the cult of the creator
National Novel Writing Month, known colloquially as NaNoWriMo, caused a massive debacle last week when they released a controversial statement about generative AI.
The 20-year-old charity encourages people to spend the month of November writing a novel, getting 50,000 words down on the page as quickly as possible. Many writers have credited it with helping them write their first book.
Now, board members of the formerly popular charity are dropping like flies, writers have condemned it on the public internet, and NaNoWriMo has had to walk back much of its statement.
The debacle is an important lesson on how deeply generative AI is tied to morality in the artistic community — and the dangers that connection can create.
What NaNoWriMo Said
NaNoWriMo’s statement laid out the organization’s thinking about generative AI.
The statement drew so much ire in part because it criticized people who condemn the use of generative AI in writing.
“NaNoWriMo does not explicitly support any specific approach to writing, nor does it explicitly condemn any approach, including the use of A.I.,” the statement said. To do…
