Fear, Court Cases, and Community: Moving Beyond the AI Witch Hunts

Why the recent legal victories and survey results mean it's time to choose progress over panic

Last week, I received a comment that perfectly encapsulates the current state of AI anxiety in the author community. A fellow author restacked my recent article about AI sequencing with this charming note:

"AI ALERT: This totally misguided cretin is promoting AI generated garbage. AI is NOT just another writing tool. When I use Word 2003 or LibreOffice Writer 7.xx, the words I type COME OUT OF MY HEAD!! Time to shun people like this. They help the cheaters rob us of sales and readership, not to mention clogging up the inboxes of every publisher out there."

I'm sharing this not because it hurt my feelings (my skin is plenty thick at this point), but because it perfectly illustrates the fear-driven hostility that's been tearing apart our author community. And with recent court decisions and survey results, the tensions are only getting higher.

It's time we addressed this head-on.

The Legal Landscape Has Shifted

Two significant court cases [1- Anthropic wins key US ruling on AI training in authors' copyright lawsuit] [2 - Meta fends off authors' US copyright lawsuit over AI] decided this past week have fundamentally changed the AI training landscape. In separate rulings involving Meta and Anthropic, federal judges determined that training AI on copyrighted works constitutes "fair use" under U.S. copyright law.

This isn't a minor legal footnote. This is the new reality.

Judge William Alsup ruled that Anthropic's use of books to train its Claude AI was "exceedingly transformative," comparing it to "any reader aspiring to be a writer" who studies existing works to "create something different." While Anthropic was found liable for storing pirated copies of books, the training itself was deemed legal.

What this means: AI companies can continue training their models on copyrighted material without permission from creators. The legal uncertainty that kept many authors on the sidelines has been largely resolved.

My own books were in those training datasets. And you know what? If AI companies used my work to train their models, then I'm going to use those models right back. That seems like fair play to me.

The Survey That Shattered Illusions

A month before these court decisions landed, BookBub released survey results that sent shockwaves through the anti-AI community. Of 1,200+ authors surveyed, 45% are currently using AI in their work.

The anti-AI crowd was dismayed. They'd convinced themselves that "real" authors weren't using these tools. The survey results were a harsh wake-up call.

On Threads, the reactions ranged from denial to despair:

"These numbers were much higher than I expected, and left me feeling disturbed."

"There are ABSOLUTELY pro AI authors in this industry and I side-eye all of them."

"They probably had ChatGPT fill out the form for them."

Here's what I suspect: the real numbers are even higher. Many AI-positive authors likely avoided the survey, worried about anonymity and potential backlash from the torches-and-pitchforks crowd. They were trying to protect themselves, and I can understand why.

The Shunning Campaign's Real Impact

Yes, there are organized efforts to blacklist AI-using authors. Lists on Goodreads. Attempted blacklists on Facebook (until legal threats shut them down). Coordinated review bombing. The whole pitchforks-and-torches routine. You may think, from the amount of screaming, that all authors are anti-AI.

But here's the reality: it's mostly sound and fury, signifying nothing.

The authors I know who've been targeted? Their books are climbing the charts and selling well. And others, even if they did get buried by bad reviews, they could spin up a new pen name tomorrow and keep writing.

The anti-AI crowd is engaging in an exercise in defeatism. They scream and expend enormous energy, while we just keep calm and carry on.

The Community Divide

The pro-AI community remains open to helping people transition, as long as those people weren't total jerks before they decided to try AI. There are plenty of authors who were initially skeptical but are now curious to learn. We welcome them with open arms.

But I've noticed something telling: this openness doesn't go both directions. I've never seen an anti-AI author offer help or empathy to someone who decided to try AI tools. They condemn them for even experimenting.

This one-way hostility is unsustainable and ultimately self-defeating.

The Karma Factor

Here's what I see coming: AI adoption will become increasingly inevitable. The authors who are aggressively anti-AI today will find themselves isolated as more colleagues embrace these tools.

Some may eventually swallow their pride and want to learn. But if they've spent years alienating the people who are fluent in AI — the ones who could help them transition — who will they turn to?

This is why I believe their current behavior will bite them in the ass someday. Not because I wish them ill, but because they're burning bridges they may desperately need later.

The Psychology of the Uncomfortable Middle

Who's driving most of this hostility? It's not the brand-new authors (they're often eager to learn new tools) or the highly successful ones (they see AI as a way to 10x their already-thriving careers).

It's the authors stuck in the uncomfortable middle. They've developed some skills, published some books, and worked hard to reach their current non-expert level. But they're not making good money yet, and they see AI as threatening to make their hard-won progress worthless.

I understand this fear. For them, it feels like the time and energy invested in getting this far was wasted. It's devastating to feel like you're finally getting somewhere, only to have the rules change.

But here's the truth: your existing skills aren't worthless. They're the foundation that makes AI collaboration possible.

The Productive Path Forward

For authors willing to be open-minded, there's a better way through this. I start by identifying pain points — tasks in their process that cause frustration or take too much time. Usually for "middle" authors, this means editing, social media, or other business tasks they don't enjoy.

Once they learn to use AI for these pain points, I show them how it can enhance and level up the skills they already have. Their craft knowledge becomes the director's chair for AI collaboration.

But first, they need to know the tools. They can do this by being open-minded, willing to try new things. I know it's hard, but it's the only way to start.

Moving Beyond the Witch Hunts

Look, I try to be empathetic. Empathy and Harmony are high in my CliftonStrengths. I understand that change is scary and that people's livelihoods feel threatened. They lash out and attack out of fear. They scream, they review bomb, they try to “destroy” those they fear.

But, ultimately, these are grown adults acting like children. I can show some empathy, then I need to deliver the cold, hard truth:

AI isn't going anywhere. Learn to live with it or sit down and be quiet.

Practical Advice for Tired Pro-AI Authors

If you're exhausted by the hostility and division, here's my best advice: protect your peace.

Don't feel obligated to educate every hard-headed person on the internet about AI. If engaging with hostile anti-AI voices is causing you grief, block them and move on. Let them figure out their own path.

We're responsible for our own families, businesses, and creative lives. We're not responsible for dragging unwilling people into the future.

The Choice Before Us

The recent court decisions and survey results make one thing clear: AI is here to stay. The legal framework supports it. Nearly half of authors are already using it. The technology continues to improve rapidly.

We have a choice as a community. We can continue tearing each other apart over tools and techniques, or we can focus on what actually matters: telling great stories that readers love.

I know which side I'm on.

The authors who choose curiosity over fear, collaboration over isolation, and progress over panic will thrive in this new landscape. The ones who choose witch hunts and shunning campaigns will find themselves increasingly irrelevant.

As one BookBub survey respondent put it beautifully:

"The creative landscape is shifting and AI is becoming a major force in our reality as creators. Let's help each other learn, adapt, mourn where needed, and embrace change as empowered individuals and communities. It's time to stop tearing each other down for opinions and usage about AI."

The future belongs to authors who adapt, experiment, and support each other through change. The witch hunts and fear-mongering? That's just the sound of the past trying to hold back the tide.

Choose your side wisely.

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Interested in learning how to use AI tools productively in your writing career? Check out our courses at the Future Fiction Academy. Want to learn more about flexible AI use? You’ll love this Substack article I wrote on figuring out what works best for you.