Writers' groups in five countries have launched a Charter of Ethical AI Use in the Creative Industries. It is written for organisations such as publishers, agents and prize bodies, not for single authors. But one line in it is a request to you.
The lesson this week: keep a simple, dated record of how you made each book, so you can answer calmly if anyone asks.
What the Charter is
The Society of Authors announced the Charter on 14 October 2026 (checked 22 October 2026). It worked with the Creators' Rights Alliance in the UK, the Authors Guild in the United States, the Australian Society of Authors, the Writers' Union of Canada and the New Zealand Society of Authors. The news page says organisations "such as agents, publishers and prize bodies can pledge" to use generative AI in a transparent and responsible way.
The Charter page (checked 22 October 2026) calls it a voluntary code. An organisation that signs commits to, among other things:
- train its own staff on what generative AI is and how to use it responsibly
- write an AI Permitted Use and Disclosure Policy and publish it on its website
- ask for consent before using a creator's work to train an AI model
- be open when AI-generated content forms a material part of a published work
It follows a framework called CLEAR: Consent, Licensing, Ethical use, Accountability, and Rights and remuneration. The page says the Charter will be reviewed every year.
The line meant for authors
The Charter asks for honesty in both directions. In its words: "We ask creators, likewise, to tell us when generative AI has materially contributed to or forms a significant element of their work."
So if you send a book to a publisher, an agent, an anthology or a prize that has signed, expect a question about AI. When we checked on 22 October, the signatory list on the Charter page was still short, so this is about what is coming, not what is required today.
KDP has its own AI question when you publish. That is covered in our 30 September post on AI disclosure, so we will not repeat it here.
A detector score is not proof
A day earlier, the Authors Guild published AI Best Practices for Publishers (13 October 2026, checked 22 October 2026). It says "No publisher, agent, or other person should rely solely on an AI detector" to decide whether a book contains AI text. The Guild opposes forcing authors to use tracking tools, but says it fully supports authors who choose to keep their drafts in case they are ever accused.
That guidance is aimed at publishers. For you, it means that if a reader, reviewer or partner questions your book, your own records can speak for you.
Four things to keep, starting with your current book
- Dated drafts. At the end of each writing week, save a copy with the date in the file name.
- Notes and outlines. Keep the messy ones too. They show the thinking.
- A short AI log. One line per tool: what you used it for, such as a spelling check or a cover idea. Our one-page AI policy post has a simple way to write this down.
- One safe place. Put all of it in your rights folder, the one from our post on keeping a rights folder.
A small example
This one is made up. Irene is finishing her second gardening memoir. She uses an AI tool only to check spelling. She saves a dated draft every Friday, keeps her notebook scans, and writes one line in her AI log. If an anthology she submits to asks about AI next year, she can answer in a sentence and show the dates.
The Charter asks organisations to be open about AI. Being ready to be open yourself takes ten minutes a week.