Our Approach to Artificial Intelligence in Publishing

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping publishing, and we believe it is important to be honest about both its possibilities and its harms. At Atmosphere Press, our approach is rooted in a simple principle: AI may be used as a tool, but books should remain human creations.

---

We recognize the ethical concerns around AI

We recognize the serious concerns surrounding artificial intelligence, including the environmental cost of large-scale computing, the use of copyrighted and creative work to train systems without meaningful consent, and the fear that human artists, writers, editors, designers, narrators, translators, and other publishing professionals may be undervalued in the rush toward automation.

These concerns matter to us because books are not merely products. They are acts of human imagination, craft, memory, and meaning. Without the beauty of human creation that books represent, Atmosphere Press wouldn’t even exist, so this is something we take seriously!

---

We protect authors’ work from unauthorized AI training

Because we are a publisher founded on author rights, our author contract directly addresses one of the central concerns around AI in publishing: whether an author’s work can be used to train generative AI systems.

We want to protect our authors’ intellectual property, so Atmosphere Press does not knowingly license or use an author’s book, manuscript, or any portion of their work to train large language models (LLMs) or other generative AI technologies without the author’s prior express written consent. This protection applies whether the use would happen directly or through a third party.

And in line with the explicit recommendation of The Authors Guild, we also will not use AI to narrate or translate a book without the author’s prior express written consent.

---

We use AI as a tool, not a replacement for people

As a forward-looking publisher that wants to stay ahead of the curve, we recognize that AI tools are now part of the publishing landscape. Used responsibly, they can help our authors remain competitive in a marketplace increasingly shaped by data, speed, visibility, and discoverability.

Like many companies working at the forefront of innovation, we now use AI-assisted tools internally to support our publishing processes. This may include researching comparable titles, improving workflows, developing marketing strategies, strengthening promotional materials, analyzing manuscripts, and helping our team better position books for the readers most likely to love them. To provide the best outcomes for our authors, we can’t rest on our laurels with outdated approaches, and we have to stay up-to-date with new technology.

But here’s an important note that it at the core of Atmosphere’s mindset: AI is not a replacement for the editors, designers, marketers, proofreaders, artists, and publishing professionals whose care and expertise shape each book.

---

We expect transparency and respect for creative rights

Our publishing process depends on respect for authorship, ownership, and creative rights. In the publishing contract, authors are required to affirm that they own the book and have the right to publish the material they provide. When a book includes material the author does not own, the author is responsible for securing the appropriate rights, permissions, and credits. Authors also must affirm that the work they provide does not infringe on copyright, violate privacy rights, or contain libelous, defamatory, or otherwise unlawful material.

This same principle of transparency applies to AI-generated material. Because AI-generated content may raise editorial, ethical, legal, and copyright considerations, authors are required to disclose any AI-generated content they provide for publication. And it is our responsibility as publisher to disclose to the printers and distributors when they will be manufacturing and selling AI-assisted material.

---

Human judgment remains central

When AI tools are used in connection with a book, they are used to support—not replace—human judgment.

Atmosphere Press may use AI tools as part of our publishing workflows, but this use does not change the author’s creative authorship of the work. Final editorial judgment, creative decision-making, and human oversight remain central to the publishing process. Humans are the most important part, and that’s not something we’ll change. It’s central to who we are and what we stand for.

Our copyright language reflects this same position. Copyright pages may note that AI tools were used to enhance the reader’s experience of a book, but always with final review by the author and publisher, and with all final creative decisions remaining human.

---

How this appears in our author contract

These principles are not just philosophical. They are also reflected in our public author contract.

Our author contract asks authors to affirm that they own the work they are publishing, that they have secured the necessary rights and permissions for any material they do not own, and that any AI-generated content provided for publication has been disclosed.

The contract states:

The Author asserts that (i) the Author is the sole proprietor and owner of the Book and has the right to publish all elements of the Book provided by the Author; (ii) for elements of the Book not owned by the Author, Author shall take responsibility for rights acquisition and proper crediting; (iii) the Book does not infringe upon any copyright or proprietary right, or violate any right of privacy, or contain any libelous, defamatory, or other unlawful material; and (iv) any content generated by artificial intelligence must be disclosed by the Author.

The contract also directly addresses the use of AI in connection with a book during the production process:

Publisher shall not knowingly license or use the Book, or any portion thereof, to train generative artificial intelligence technologies, whether directly or by sublicense to a third party, without Author’s prior express written consent.

Publisher shall not cause the Book to be narrated by artificial intelligence or translated into another language using artificial intelligence without Author’s prior express written consent.

Publisher may employ artificial intelligence tools at its discretion as part of its publishing workflows. Author’s creative authorship remains unaffected, as all final editorial and creative decisions remain human.

---

What this means for authors

For authors, our position is this: we do not treat AI as the author, the editor, the artist, the narrator, the translator, or the final decision-maker, even though we may use AI-assisted tools to help us work more efficiently, strategically, and competitively on behalf of a book and its author.

We will not knowingly use an author’s work for AI training without permission. We will not use AI to narrate or translate an author’s book without permission. Authors are expected to disclose AI-generated content they provide for publication. And when AI tools are used in our publishing process, they remain subject to human review, professional judgment, and the author’s vision.

---

Our guiding principle

We believe the future of publishing should not require choosing between innovation and integrity.

Our goal is to use available tools thoughtfully while continuing to honor the people at the center of every book: the authors who write them, the editors and artists who shape them, and the readers who bring them fully to life.

---