Reconsidering Literary Authorship in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

The rapid development of artificial intelligence has significantly impacted the field of literary creation. It raises important questions of authorship, originality, and the ownership of creative works. Traditionally, authorship has been seen as an act that can only be performed by people, closely linked to their individual intentions but also creative imaginings and cultural experiences. However, AI–generated texts, while immediately recognisable as human writing in form and content, break this old view. The paper studies how collaboration between human beings and machines redefines creative authority in the era of artificial intelligence. Using key literary theories such as Roland Barthes’ “Death of the Author” concept and Michel Foucault's “What Is an Author?” exploration of the author–function, this study situates AI within existing debates rather than regarding it as one radical break. It argues that AI is not a replacement for the human author but a tool to be directed by human intentions, choices of topics and interpretations. By analysing individual instances of AI–assisted literary creation and critical discussion, the study draws attention to the ever–changing boundaries between human creativity and algorithmic performance. In the end, the paper suggests that authorship in the digital age is a shared and evolving process, influenced by the mediation of technology, the surrounding cultural environment, and human agency.