Writers, artists and broadcasters

James Patterson

novelist; author of the Alex Cross series and Filthy Rich

3 records

Portrait source: Library of Congress Life, CC0

Records

This is my biggest fear about the harms of artificial intelligence. Not that A.I. is going to replace writers. That A.I. is going to decimate the next generation of readers.

James Patterson

novelist; author of the Alex Cross series and Filthy Rich

In a February 2025 post on his Substack, James Patterson wrote that his biggest fear about the harms of artificial intelligence is not that A.I. is going to replace writers but that it is going to decimate the next generation of readers.

Novelist; author of the Alex Cross seriesPublished February 21, 2025 · date of remarks not establishedJames Patterson's Substack

Source Archived

Context and checks

Surrounding words

In their defense, they no longer “need” to. Thanks to A.I., literally any book ever written can be summarized at the touch of a button. A decent college-level essay about any topic can be spawned in seconds. This is my biggest fear about the harms of artificial intelligence. Not that A.I. is going to replace writers. That A.I. is going to decimate the next generation of readers. hildren aren’t born book lovers. I firmly believe any kid can be turned into one if they’re given great novels that really grab them. But that only works if they know how to read in the first place.

What this quote does not say

The post argues a literacy and reading risk; it is not an existential-risk statement or a quantitative forecast.
The causal mechanism is described in the preceding context as effortless AI summaries and generated essays, but the selected exact text does not itself specify a timeframe or mechanism.

How this was checked

Quote located in the captured page; spacing normalised for display.

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an AI reviewer that read the whole source · an automatic character-by-character check

I’m happy to say, I don’t think the human-written word is doomed. In fact, thanks to the rise of A.I., I’m convinced that books written by real people are going to become more important than ever.

James Patterson

novelist; author of the Alex Cross series and Filthy Rich

In a February 2025 post on his Substack, James Patterson wrote that he does not think the human-written word is doomed and that, thanks to the rise of A.I., he is convinced books written by real people are going to become more important than ever.

Novelist; author of the Alex Cross seriesPublished February 21, 2025 · date of remarks not establishedJames Patterson's Substack

Source Archived

Context and checks

Surrounding words

So I don’t know if that’s true. But I am an author. And a book lover. And I’ve been thinking a lot about the impact of A.I. on writing, publishing and literature. I have some real concerns. Just maybe not the ones you might expect. I’m happy to say, I don’t think the human-written word is doomed. In fact, thanks to the rise of A.I., I’m convinced that books written by real people are going to become more important than ever. There’s no denying artificial intelligence is an impressive piece of technology. I’m talking here about chatbots. Type in just about anything— “How do I replace the timing belt in my ’87 Chevy?” “Why did the Ottoman Empire fall?”

What this quote does not say

The passage narrows the risk to the survival and importance of human writing; it does not deny income loss, market displacement, or other AI harms.
The live Substack post has a stable title and publication date but no visible revision history.

How this was checked

Quote located in the captured page; spacing normalised for display.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source · an automatic character-by-character check

Statements they signed

FROM THE SIGNED STATEMENT

The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted.

Signed statement: “Statement on AI Training” (Ed Newton‑Rex/Fairly Trained)

James Patterson

novelist; author of the Alex Cross series and Filthy Rich

Signed as part of a group statement. Not spoken.

James Patterson was listed as a signer of the Statement on AI Training, which says unlicensed use of creative works to train generative AI threatens creators' livelihoods and should not be permitted.

AuthorDate not establishedStatement on AI Training

Source Archived

Context and checks

Surrounding words

Signatories (50,544) Björn Ulvaeus, Songwriter Sir John Rutter, Composer and Conductor Sir Kazuo Ishiguro, Novelist Julianne Moore Thom Yorke, Musician James Patterson, Author Kate Bush, Singer-songwriter Sir Simon Rattle, Conductor Kevin Bacon Sir Ian Rankin, Novelist Stephen Fry Miriam Margolyes OBE Charles Dance OBE Hugh Bonneville Kit Harington, Actor Hayley Atwell Alan Ayckbourn, Playwright Antony

How this was checked

The organiser's own roster lists this person as a signer.

Reviewed by

an AI reviewer that read the whole source