As AI becomes more of a problem, authors are finding ways around it. Thousands of authors have joined together in a protest, creating a unique book that could shape a movement around the world.
So far, the movement is in the United Kingdom, but well-known authors such as Philippa Gregory (author of The White Queen and The Other Boleyn Girl) and Richard Osman (author of The Thursday Murder Club) have joined in. It happens at the same time as another push to combat AI, as publishers across the United States have joined together to take down a pirating website.
Philippa Gregory and Richard Osman Among Authors Publishing an ‘Empty’ Book
According to The Guardian, thousands of authors have joined together to create the first “empty” book. Titled Don’t Steal This Book, the story is just a list of all the author names who have agreed to be part of the movement.
It’s not just authors who are struggling with their work being pirated and used by AI companies. The music industry is also deeply affected, and it was because of that that the movement came about. Ed Newton-Rex, a composer and campaigner, organized the book.
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While AI can have its place, it’s not off the livelihoods of authors and other creatives. Like many other parts of the world, there are few protections in place against AI companies stealing creative works. The argument is that if AI is going to use the work, then the authors should be paid.
Gregory and Osman are just two of the big names involved. Slow Horses author Mick Herron, which the Apple TV series is based on, and Noughts and Crosses author Malorie Blackman are also involved.
Not the First Attempt By Authors to Tackle the AI Problem
This is certainly not the first time authors across the globe have attempted to tackle the issue of artificial intelligence, and it likely won’t be the last. Not only is there a current lawsuit against the pirating site Anna’s Archive, but there was also a lawsuit against Anthropic, the developer of the Claude chatbot, in 2025.
Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5B to settle a class-action lawsuit by book authors. They claimed that Claude took pirated copies of the work to create the chatbot, which is now used by many to create books.
This isn’t just against the AI companies, though. The nature of the current “empty” book is to focus on bringing change within government legislation and prevent the relaxation of copyright laws. It could be something that gains traction across the world, as more governments look at digital laws in the ever-growing world of technology.
