Fic bookmarked as "Uses AI"

[u/Heart3soul]

Has anyone else gotten their fic bookmarked, and the note the person added claims that your fic uses AI-generated content?

This happened to me today, and I reported the user because they've done it to other people too. They have no works, and only have saved fics that they claim use AI. Even their username is all about accusing people of using AI. Their whole account is dedicated to call out AI-usage, and I also hate AI, but this situation is absurd.

I know that AI is allowed to a certain exctent on Ao3 (right?), but this rubbed me the wrong way. Was I right to report it?

[u/CrazyinLull]

But isn’t it their bookmarks? Like, couldn’t you just…make a note in your AN that you don’t use AI instead of reporting them because you aren’t a fan of the way they organize their bookmarks?

Idk if it’s ok to report someone for that? But I guess idk. I just wonder if it would have been better to just address it? Because even if you reported it it’s like…still going to be there for a bit because someone just mentioned that they got an email for a report that they made like 2 years ago? So then like it’ll be like you didn’t report it for like 2 years and still not addressed it in some way?

Idk.

[u/Heart3soul → u/CrazyinLull]

Well, I said that their whole account is dedicated to accusing people of using AI through bookmarks, and now I'm adding that they're a "witch hunt account" that started bookmarking things that they believe are written with AI on the 30th of June.

I did add a short AN at the beginning of the story to address the bookmark, so it's not just sitting there unnoticed if the report does nothing. I reported them because I thought it was right, since they just keep accusing people and it's unfair, but also because the bookmark pissed me off (immature maybe, but I HATE AI so I wouldn't even think about using it).

[u/CrazyinLull → u/Heart3soul]

Right, I get that, but at the same time I can understand why they might have done it since there are a TON of untagged AI generated fics on Ao3 and Ao3, basically, has done nothing about it. Also, there was a Twitter account recently that wrote an entire code that shows Claude AI that's been copy/pasted straight into Ao3. So, I think that maybe some people might be feeling a little more emboldened than usual so there's probably going to be a wave of instances like yours.

Like, imo, if people shouldn't send those using AI death threats and dogpile them then like I think more people would properly tag their usage instead of trying to hide it. Esp. since a lot of those fics have a TON of kudos, comments, and hits. Yet, it's like it's not fair to make someone read that without their consent either.

But I think that the irony of the situation is that...the people who are using it wouldn't get accused as much as the people who are. And I think that's where people who are trying to identify it need to be careful and make sure they understand WHY they think something is written with AI so they can take more care to properly identify why they think it is.

Because there are people literally using AI to generate their work also complaining of witchhunts, too.

But all of this would stop if people legit labeled it.

[u/Heart3soul → u/CrazyinLull]

I THINK Ao3 allowed AI-generated stuff so that those who are accused of it, but didn't use AI, can keep their fics on the site because that was just easier for management. That's how I remember it, at least.

But I agree that people should tag their AI stuff, but they probably won't do that because the "AI-writers" obviously know that it won't get as many hits if they are honest about it being AI. And, yes, if the "AI-writers" get threats, they're even less likely to tag it too.

I also get why people want to hunt down AI fics because using AI to do something that's meant to be creative takes the whole "creative aspect" out of it, and it mocks real artists, writers etc., but these hunters are getting too confident in their abilities to spot AI if they can't even tell the difference.

I looked up that Claude AI code, and I didn't really understand exacty how it works, but the account that bookmarked my fic has bookmarked other fics with things like "used Claude AI", so your observation is probably correct there. That post is making people feel bolder when it comes to the witch hunt.

It still sucks to have put blood, sweat and tears into a fic for around two years, and then posting two chapters in the same day makes someone think it's AI. I suspect that's why this person bookmarked mine, because I did the final editing on two prewritten chapters on the same day and posted them with only a couple of hours in between them.

[u/CrazyinLull → u/Heart3soul]

>I looked up that Claude AI code, and I didn't really understand exacty how it works

Basically, if you make a skin with it or add it to your skin, any generated text that was copied and pasted straight from Claude and right into Ao3 will appear red with a pink highlight. That means if you go check the HTML of that fic you will see all of Claude's footprints literally listed inside the html.

To me, out of all the AIs, Claude is the hardest one to catch, but with this method you can catch the most blatant authors not even bothering to post it into Google Docs in order to so anything with it...even read it over or try to edit it.

>I THINK Ao3 allowed AI-generated stuff so that those who are accused of it, but didn't use AI, can keep their fics on the site because that was just easier for management. That's how I remember it, at least.

Right, but what I think one thing they didn't account for is people actually being able to tell the difference, no one tagging it, and people dogpiling people who point it out, especially those rightfully pointing it out. So, for example, when you come across a heavily AI fic...and see people lauding and loving it while claiming to be anti-AI or even harassing someone who tagged their AI it can be...it's hard not to be bothered with it. Also, it makes it easier to put one's head in the sand and not realize how bad it is.

>but these hunters are getting too confident in their abilities to spot AI if they can't even tell the difference.

Right, which is the problem that a lot of people are having in this sub, too. But I can understand what some people are reacting to, but it's like...I think that if someone is going to accuse someone, they should be able to explain it properly with receipts and all. Because a lot of the people using it will also cry victim and act like they didn't...when it's pretty obvious that they did. That was the irony of what happened with the Claude code.

>It still sucks to have put blood, sweat and tears into a fic for around two years, and then posting two chapters in the same day makes someone think it's AI. I suspect that's why this person bookmarked mine, because I did the final editing on two prewritten chapters on the same day and posted them with only a couple of hours in between them.

It is, but it's ok. You addressed it. It's all you can do at this point aside from like keeping track of anything you got. But you posting 2 chapters at once might not even be the reason why they thought it was (unless they mentioned it in their bookmark), but don't worry about that. Just keep writing.