We champion human creativity. Every AP book is conceived, written, edited, and designed by people. Artificial intelligence may help behind the scenes—like a junior assistant—but it is never the author or the artist. When AI tools are used, a human professional directs, reviews, and approves the results.
What “AI Assist” means. We distinguish AI‑assisted tasks (human‑created content refined or checked with tools) from AI‑generated content (text, images, or translations produced by a model). AP permits AI assistance under human editorial control and with full transparency when material; we do not publish machine‑written books or raw, unedited AI artwork.
Permitted, under human oversight. (1) Copyediting & proofreading: grammar/style suggestions that an editor reviews—never “accept all.” (2) Idea generation: brainstorming titles, catalog copy, comps, or plot/testing scenarios for inspiration only; facts are independently verified before use. (3) Metadata & marketing: draft descriptions, keywords, and ads that our team edits for accuracy, tone, and claims. (4) Accessibility & formats: AI‑narrated audiobooks and AI‑assisted draft translations may be used for otherwise unserved titles; a human reviews and polishes the output and we seek the author’s consent where contractually required. (5) Design assistance: concept art, textures, or elements generated by AI may be incorporated only after significant human modification and full visual QA.
Prohibited uses. We do not accept fully AI‑generated manuscripts; we will not credit an AI as author, narrator, illustrator, or photographer. We do not use unedited AI images or rely on AI to make creative decisions. Plagiarism, undisclosed AI use, and unverified model outputs are not allowed. We reserve the right to limit, rewrite, or remove AI‑generated passages or images to protect voice, quality, and rights.
Author disclosure & reader transparency. Authors must tell AP at submission if and how AI was used (tool name; where; purpose). If AI assistance was material in a book’s creation, AP includes a brief note in the colophon/credits (e.g., “Copyediting assistance with Grammarly; all changes reviewed by a human editor.”). This builds trust and aligns with emerging publishing norms.
Platform compliance (we handle the metadata). During Amazon KDP upload, AP accurately answers whether any content was AI‑generated (model‑produced text/images/translations) versus AI‑assisted (human‑authored, tool‑refined); KDP currently requires disclosure of AI‑generated content but not of purely AI‑assisted edits. For Apple Books, where a material portion is AI‑generated, we add the required public credit (including the “AI Generated by” contributor role) and note this in the description to avoid customer confusion. AP keeps these disclosures consistent with our on‑page colophon note.
Copyright & contract integrity. Only human expression is protectable. Purely AI‑generated passages or images may be unprotectable and must be identified and disclaimed when we register copyright; AP claims rights only in the human‑authored portions. Our author agreements require originality warranties, AI‑use disclosure, and may assign responsibility to the author for any IP/privacy issues arising from included AI outputs. AP may reject or require rewrites of AI‑generated material to maintain voice and legal integrity.
Privacy & data security. AP does not upload unreleased manuscripts, personal data, or confidential materials to public AI systems. Where limited excerpts are used for assistance, staff minimize identifiable details and prefer approved, privacy‑protected tools. We keep internal notes of any significant AI assistance to support legal, platform, and reader disclosures.
Quality control & safety checks. Editors fact‑check model outputs; designers check AI‑assisted art for artifacts and unintended IP (e.g., logos, signatures, likenesses). AI suggestions are starting points, not final text. Known risks—hallucinations, bias, stale data—are mitigated with human review, independent sources, and sensitivity/accuracy reads as needed.
Standard colophon wording (example). “This work was created by human authors and editors. AI tools were used in a limited support role (grammar/style suggestions; marketing metadata). All AI suggestions were reviewed and edited by humans for accuracy and voice.” For audiobooks: “This edition uses supervised digital narration to increase accessibility; a human producer directed and approved the final output.”
Governance & updates. AP trains staff on responsible tool use, reviews this policy as laws and platform rules evolve, and honors author preferences captured in contracts (e.g., consent for AI‑narrated audio or AI‑assisted translation). Questions about AI use on a specific project are welcome; we aim for quality first, transparency always, and AI only as a carefully managed assistant.