AI in children’s books: an editor reflects

With artificial intelligence at our fingertips, self-published authors may be tempted to rush picture books into the market cheaply using illustrations and wording created by AI.

There are many poor quality books created in this way online through publishing programs like Amazon KDP. Many of these books are obviously AI-generated as they have 'shiny', soulless or even bizarre illustrations and copy. However, there are also AI-created books that are much harder to detect.

AI is a complex and evolving topic, and people will have different responses to picture books created in this way. Some people will be fascinated by the power of technology and impressed at what you've created. Some will be dismayed that children are reading these sorts of books. Others will be outraged that creative jobs are being replaced by machines. 

If you’re seeking to make a picture book for a few family members and friends, perhaps as a bit of fun over a weekend without spending any money, experimenting with AI might be a good solution. Though I’m sure your network would equally treasure something hand-drawn and made with love, not prompts.

If you're more serious about a career in children's books, consider how using AI to create a book might appear to your readers and to the wider industry longer-term. It could make fellow authors and potential future publishers suspicious of your abilities or ethics. What’s more, you’re not exercising your own creative talents to their full potential. And you’re undermining the people who work in your own industry.

Remember, using AI is essentially asking a computer to make something based on whatever source material it can find online. That is, words or pictures created by other people. Some people might call this derivative, or even plagiarism. 

What’s more, an AI story might seem remarkable at first… but read a little closer and the storyline and word choice might feel a little… strange. If you’ve asked it to write in rhyme, it’s not long before that goes off the rails, too. Perhaps picture books are a more compicated art than the robots bargained for! (Learn more about writing in rhyme.)

At the barest minimum, AI-created art lacks some level of human connection, nuance and idiosyncrasy, which are important ingredients for art. The same applies for using AI to write stories. The result can feel ‘hollow’.

Ultimately, it's up to you to see where your values lie, and how you apply this to your journey as a children's book creator.

My hope is that, in an era where all kinds of content can be spat out at the touch of a button, people will crave stories with genuine humans behind them. Stories that have taken genuine human inspiration, connection, craft and care to produce.

If you’d like to learn how to wordsmith a wonderful story with your own, extraordinary human brain, check out my resources and editorial support below.

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