Recently, the online literary community has been embroiled in a heated debate over the rights of artificial intelligence and authors. The controversy originated from the "AI Training Supplemental Agreement" added to the signing agreements on the Tomato Novel platform, which required authors to agree to use their works for the platform's AI content development, sparking strong opposition from many online novelists.
According to multiple online novelists who posted on social media, this agreement not only infringes on the rights of authors but also poses a potential threat to the entire industry. Authors are concerned that the rapid development of AI technology may severely squeeze the living space of human creators. Some authors point out that even diligent online novelists who update thousands or even tens of thousands of words daily cannot compete with the efficiency of AI, which can design a novel in just one minute.
Image source note: Image generated by AI, image licensing service provided by Midjourney
A seasoned author with nearly ten years of experience in online literary creation, known as "Cola," stated: "Although I do not currently believe that AI-created works will make it difficult for online novelists to survive, AI works that have been polished by humans will undoubtedly squeeze the living space of original works."
This incident has sparked extensive discussions within the industry about the application of AI in literary creation. Supporters believe that AI can increase the efficiency of creation and bring new possibilities to the industry. Opponents, however, are concerned that unrestricted use of AI may dilute the value of original works, ultimately harming the entire online literary ecosystem.
So far, the Tomato Novel platform has not publicly responded to this matter. Industry insiders are calling for, while promoting the application of AI technology, platform operators should also fully consider the rights of authors, establish a reasonable profit distribution mechanism, and maintain the healthy development of online literary creation.
This dispute highlights the contradiction between technological development and intellectual property protection, serving as a wake-up call for the entire cultural and creative industry. Finding a balance between encouraging technological innovation and protecting the rights of creators will be an important topic for the industry to explore together in the future.