Author AI Usage Policy

We do not accept any non-attributed AI (Artificial Intelligence) generated text in articles at Simple Talk for publication. The editors will use tools to determine if the likelihood of AI-generated content is high enough to reject submissions.

We have two categories of content that we apply to AI and content: AI-generated and AI-assisted. The definitions of these are below, based on the Amazon Kindle author policy: 

  • AI-generated: AI-generated content is text, images, or code created by an AI-based tool. If you used an AI-based tool, generative or otherwise, to create the actual content (whether text, images, or code), it is considered “AI-generated,” even if you applied substantial edits afterward. 
  • AI-assisted: If you created the content yourself, and used AI-based tools to edit, refine, error-check, or otherwise improve that content (whether text, code, or images), then it is considered “AI-assisted” and not “AI-generated.” If you used an AI-based tool to brainstorm and generate ideas, but ultimately created the text, code, or images yourself, this is also considered “AI-assisted” and not “AI-generated.” 

While we do not allow AI to generate substantial parts of blogs and articles that we publish, we do allow the use of AI tools for creating setup code and data, but for substantive text and code that solves a problem or teaches a concept, this should be created by the author. 

Authors are free to use AI in the same manner as Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc., but are required to write articles in their own words. Any content generated (including code and data) using AI needs to be attributed just like if you copied it from any other book or website.

The use of AI assistance with grammar and spelling is beyond the intent of this policy. The use of tools such as Grammarly, Wordtune, etc., or the tools built into word processing software does not use other people’s work as a source, so these tools are fully allowable under this policy. 

We regularly use AI-assisted technology to edit documents, check content for correctness, plagiarism, and AI-generated text, to ensure the content is of the highest quality.  

References 

While creating this policy, we referenced what other organizations were doing as well. These included: