When AI Magic Meets Creative Writing: The AI Noberisuto Literary Prize and the Boundaries of Non-human (Co)authorship
Proposal Type
Individual Talk
Location
Algorithms & Imaginaries
Start Date
July 2026
End Date
July 2026
Abstract
In 2022, the AI Noberisuto Literary Prize was established in Japan to nominate short pieces and poems written with the assistance of the eponymous tool, AI Noberisuto, the “largest public Japanese storywriting AI”. Framed as a way to optimize and democratize literary production, the prize poses fundamental questions for authorship theory: what does it mean to be a literary author when producing seemingly coherent passages is no longer an exclusively human affair? Is there a line when the tool becomes the coauthor, or is AI always only a supplement? Who (or what) owns the resulting text? Rooted in literary authorship theory and, in particular, the interpretation of the author as a composite rather than just a singular persona, my presentation focuses on the unequal power dynamics that arise when generative AI is advertised as an enhancement of human authorship. Even though AI Noberisuto is positioned as a mere supplement that does not limit authorial creativity, the human contribution here is minimized in favor of the tool. By offering novice writers the possibility of becoming professionals, the award emphasizes the importance of AI in this transformation, thereby normalizing its use in creative writing. At the same time, however, the transformation remains ever incomplete, with winners never disclosing their real names or appearing in public. The tool is ultimately promoted over the author, leaving the question of who (or what) the award consecrates open. Drawing on two case studies, my presentation discusses the collaboration-competition binary that emerges in the AI Noberisuto Literary Prize in relation to fame, commercial publishing, and authorial disposability.
When AI Magic Meets Creative Writing: The AI Noberisuto Literary Prize and the Boundaries of Non-human (Co)authorship
Algorithms & Imaginaries
In 2022, the AI Noberisuto Literary Prize was established in Japan to nominate short pieces and poems written with the assistance of the eponymous tool, AI Noberisuto, the “largest public Japanese storywriting AI”. Framed as a way to optimize and democratize literary production, the prize poses fundamental questions for authorship theory: what does it mean to be a literary author when producing seemingly coherent passages is no longer an exclusively human affair? Is there a line when the tool becomes the coauthor, or is AI always only a supplement? Who (or what) owns the resulting text? Rooted in literary authorship theory and, in particular, the interpretation of the author as a composite rather than just a singular persona, my presentation focuses on the unequal power dynamics that arise when generative AI is advertised as an enhancement of human authorship. Even though AI Noberisuto is positioned as a mere supplement that does not limit authorial creativity, the human contribution here is minimized in favor of the tool. By offering novice writers the possibility of becoming professionals, the award emphasizes the importance of AI in this transformation, thereby normalizing its use in creative writing. At the same time, however, the transformation remains ever incomplete, with winners never disclosing their real names or appearing in public. The tool is ultimately promoted over the author, leaving the question of who (or what) the award consecrates open. Drawing on two case studies, my presentation discusses the collaboration-competition binary that emerges in the AI Noberisuto Literary Prize in relation to fame, commercial publishing, and authorial disposability.
Bio
Kateryna Shabelnyk is a PhD student at Nagoya University (Nagoya, Japan) and a TokAI research fellow. Her dissertation in progress explores the early impact of generative AI on institutions of authorship in contemporary Japanese literature.