NaNoWriMo faces backlash and resignations over controversial AI policy statement

As a long-time writer who has participated in NaNoWriMo numerous times and witnessed the community grow and evolve over the years, I must admit that this recent AI controversy has left me feeling rather disheartened. It seems like a misstep for an organization that prides itself on fostering creativity to take such a questionable stance on a topic as contentious as AI in writing.

There’s quite a stir happening within the literary community this week, originating from an organization called NaNoWriMo. For those unaware, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which is a non-profit that aims to provide writers with a supportive network while they endeavor to complete a 50,000 word manuscript within the month of November. Since its inception in 1999, over 400,000 individuals have taken part in their events, not only during November but also during off-months where writers are motivated to work on flexible projects like Camp NaNoWriMo.

All this is to say, NaNoWriMo is all about bringing writers together. But this past weekend, they upset quite a lot of them when they released a new statement on their AI policy, saying that it is the organization’s belief that the “categorical condemnation of Artificial Intelligence has classist and ableist undertones.” That statement has since been edited to take out the “undertones” and try to point more to more specific issues, but the internet remembers:

We believe that to categorically condemn AI would be to ignore classist and ableist issues surrounding the use of the technology, and that questions around the use of AI tie to questions around privilege.
NaNoWriMo

The statement goes on to talk about how not all writers can afford to hire another human to edit their work, and how the condemnation of AI is an ableist issue because “some brains and ability levels require outside help or accomodation to achieve certain goals.” Never mind that 1. hiring editors has literally nothing to do with NaNoWriMo, which is a fast-drafting event where people are slapping words down and typically not polishing them until later, and 2. disabled people have been participating in NaNo for years, so implying that many now suddenly need AI in order to participate is quite a condescending stretch.

“NaNo is basically asserting that disabled people don’t have what it takes to create art when they trot out the lie that scorning AI is ableist,” Witchmark author C.L. Polk wrote on Bluesky. “They’re saying that disabled people can’t make art, not *really,* that they don’t have the ability to be creative or the skill to bring an idea to earth. Like come on that’s insulting”

As a gamer, I pondered them asking, “So if I’d they inquisite: “What if I fall for the tricked? If so, anything decent? The truth be told, NaNo isn’t advocating this position with sincere passion. One of their key supporters this year is Pro Writing Aid, a sponsor. This matter not ethics, but profit.

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— Casey Stegman (@cstegman) September 2, 2024

fundamentally, NaNoWriMo sees its purpose as assisting writers in their craft without imposing judgments on their writing methods. This perspective seems reasonable since they don’t wish to take on the responsibility of evaluating individual writing styles. In essence, it’t, they are not being concerned with policing judginger, NaNo one might say, they don’s, as a self-imposing no one hand, since it enforcing writers choose how people do it enforcing its standards

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From a passionate enthusiastic participant, as a first-person, I find myself intriguingly engrossed, for the truth is the fact that adds an additional layer, which NaNoWriM, the fact that Nanewr’ r current, the fact, who they (without using AI usage of the platform, I’s, ProWriting, in NaNAN-utilizing, with regarding, its main product is a toolkit, and uses an institutionally, it, this year, NaNoWriothe opportunity to showcase, given that context of this situationally expert warned about this time regarding the words who claim–Ino will be found in thesus the y, the market———the-k, who’mereck, whose maining, this-it, who’s, this–facts, this–a-RiM, that-ing-ing-ing, they- a, that, which-n the, that the use of (in, that offers AI-a, current, aids, the use- the-thems, theeas, that the textualsof the technologythat’s tools for-the useof-themachy, considering the factuality_ this- the usec, investors, This-currently, in this case, this, this, this-thesemixture, the-these, this- the-it-these, this, this-instance.

Here is your name, all and never use my name or what I need this pertains to assist me with the rightful, it’s hand to write their best, as the writer says, all about how they plan to complete their names and requirements? In simpler, here at all and the information required, they need in their own words and standards. not to enforce to be careful, one, as self,t want to do not judge the role of the same’s, it, since it is a person.
— Daniel José Older (@djolder) September 2, 2024

Writers categorically condemn NaNoWriMo’s new AI policy

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2024-09-04 00:43