Writing in 2025: The AI Revolution Continues
Happy New Year!
Welcome to the beginning of 2025 – where we all figure out what we’re going to accomplish in the new year. Or we shrug our shoulders and say “I’ll get done what I get done.”
I’m trying something new this year. Rather than set goals, I’m setting up systems to get me to where I want to go.
Besides publishing The Call To Witchery and starting on the 2nd book, I want to work on being consistent sharing information with you.
And the systems I am organizing will help me do that.
Yay, for the AI assistant who is going to help me.
Last year was a turbulent year in the AI world. This year promises to be the same.
I’ve had a look at what’s trending and new developments to see if there will be anything worth noting for us fiction writers.
Here’s my list:
Copyright Wars Move Beyond Theory
This past year saw wins on both sides in the courts when it came to copyright infringement.
There is still no definitive ruling yet leading to copyright protection.
The coming year is expected to bring significant developments in copyright lawsuits against AI companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Meta Platforms.
These cases focus on whether using copyrighted material to train AI systems constitutes "fair use."
“Fair use” is a principle in U.S. copyright law which is designed to balance the rights of creators with the public's interest in accessing and utilizing creative works.
Think of criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research as falling within the ‘Fair use” principle.
Early rulings could set important precedents affecting the AI industry and content creators.
AI Tools Evolve Beyond Basic Assistance
This year also brings more sophisticated AI writing assistants.
They won't just suggest words – they'll help craft nuanced dialogue, develop complex characters, and maintain consistency across series.
We’re seeing this already – the recent launch ChatGPT's canvas feature and Apple's introduction of "Apple Intelligence" in iOS 18.2 are two examples.
AI writing tools will become more integrated into our daily devices allowing for interactive generation and real-time collaboration
AI Agents Become Specialized Partners
A bit of background on this one.
Up to now, A.I. has been mostly a set of individual tools where each tool does one task (You could argue ChatGPT and Claude does more than one task but I would argue they are designed to do one thing well).
AI agents are designed to automatically pick the best tool to provide you with a good answer, personalized to you. No matter what you're doing - research, outlining or editing.
AI agents in 2025 will function as specialized writing partners. They'll maintain your research database, track character details across series, and help resolve plot inconsistencies.
These agents will learn your specific writing style and preferences, offering more personalized assistance while maintaining your unique voice.
Currently, AI agent development is focused on the needs of businesses. We will most likely see AI agents for writers with rudimentary capabilities later this year.
They will get better with time.
'Made by Humans' Gains Value
With the rise of AI-generated content, "AI-free" and "100% Human Created" labels will become significant selling points.
Expect certification systems for verifying human authorship and potential "human-only" categories in literary awards.
This trend responds to growing reader interest in authentic, human-crafted stories.
Browser Extensions Transform Research
2025 will also see an explosion in AI-powered browser extensions. These tools will fact-check historical details in real-time, suggest culturally accurate character names, and maintain consistency databases.
Google is one of the earliest browsers to add the ChatGPT extension.
Any searches using Google provides a text-generated summary with a reference to the site(s) containing the information. No other websites are listed.
This is a problem for those of us who maintain author websites. SEO has just become redundant.
I expect to see shifts to other search engines. Or, there will be little interest to add the extension to the web browser.
FYI, I've uninstalled this from my computers.
Regulation Becomes Clearer
As courts tackle AI copyright cases, expect clearer regulatory frameworks around AI use in creative works.
Publishers will establish standard practices for AI disclosure, similar to content warnings, to meet those frameworks.
New copyright registration procedures will likely include specific sections for declaring AI assistance.
Industry Consolidation Creates Integrated Solutions
Once the initial technology hoopla is over, there is normally a period of consolidation and adjustment.
Smaller companies get acquired by the major ones. Or the smaller ones find the way to grow big. Or they go bankrupt, not able to meet customer demands or sustain their monetary viability.
This year will see churn in the AI market.
Major tech companies will begin to acquire successful AI writing tools, leading to more comprehensive author-focused suites. Apple's move into AI writing features signals this trend.
However, watch for innovative startups focusing on specialized needs like dialogue generation or world-building.
They will serve a niche market which the larger tech companies won’t be interested in pursuing.
AI Declarations Become Standardized
AI is here to stay. And because of that, publishing platforms will begin to standardize AI disclosure requirements.
Expect detailed forms about specific AI tool usage, from cover design to content editing.
We’ve already seen this – think of Amazon and IngramSpark.
As the AI industry matures and regulatory frameworks are instituted, more companies will align their policies with the legislative requirements, forcing writers to disclose their AI usage in more detail.
What This Means for You
This year will be the one when we move from “You use AI?” to “You don’t use AI?”
Writers are embracing the AI’s capabilities to enhance (not replace) their storytelling.
As copyright issues become sorted and the tools get better, you will be able to balance both efficiency and authenticity.
Tools will become more personalized to your tone and style, decreasing the editing overhead which currently exists for fiction stories.
Data privacy and protection will become paramount.
Personally, I’m excited by the possibility of AI agents. Currently, I’m defining which AI tools to use for each step of the writing process.
So far, I’m up to eight. Imagine being able to use one agent for everything, who will pick one of those eight tools to do what I need. Rather than spending my time learning a bunch of tools, I can use that time to elevate my storytelling skills.
What are you most excited about for the next year? Drop me a line and let me know.
If you’re curious about how I’m organizing my writing process tools and ways I can help you do the same, book an appointment using the button below. Together we’ll design something which works for you.
Keep being curious.
Lorraine
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