AI Statement
AI Statement
Our Approach to AI
Artificial intelligence is changing publishing, media, and communication rapidly. At DartFrog, we believe the conversation around AI is often framed too simply — either as something to embrace without question or reject entirely. We do not believe either extreme reflects the reality of publishing.
Our position is straightforward:
Some uses of AI are helpful and appropriate.
Some uses fundamentally conflict with the human work at the center of authorship and editorial collaboration.
We believe those distinctions matter.
Where We Use AI
Examples may include:
● internal workflow assistance
● media production support
● educational or informational video presentation
● scheduling and organizational systems
● research assistance
● marketing support tools
● automation of repetitive administrative tasks
These uses are intended to improve efficiency and communication — not replace human literary judgment. We believe technology can be useful without replacing the human core of publishing.
Where We Do Not Use AI
We do not use AI to:
● edit manuscripts in place of human editors
● perform developmental editing
● replace literary analysis or story evaluation
● substitute for human creative judgment
● generate editorial feedback presented as human expertise
● replace the relationship between author and editor
Publishing is not simply the production of text. It is interpretation, emotional understanding, aesthetic judgment, and human collaboration.
We believe meaningful editorial work requires people.
Human Editing Matters
● interpreting voice
● understanding emotional intention
● recognizing nuance
● identifying narrative weakness
● protecting authenticity
● helping authors communicate more clearly and powerfully
Those decisions require human discernment. For that reason, DartFrog’s editorial process remains human-led.
Cover Design & AI
In limited cases, an author may specifically request a visual concept or artistic effect that is not realistically achievable through traditional illustration, photography, or design methods alone. In those situations:
● the potential use of AI-assisted imagery is discussed with the author in advance
● the author’s approval is required before proceeding
● and the use of AI-generated elements is disclosed when the book is published
AI and Authorship
The rise of generative AI has also changed how questions of authorship and provenance are understood. For most of publishing history, authorship operated largely on trust. Increasingly, the ability to generate convincing text at scale makes provenance and documentation more important.
This is one of the reasons we developed True Origin™ — not as a tool for policing creativity, but as a framework for documenting authorship and creative development over time.
We believe the future of publishing will increasingly depend on transparency, provenance, and clarity around creative process.
Author Authorship Standards
Writers may use AI-assisted tools for functions such as brainstorming, outlining, research assistance, organizational support, or limited editorial experimentation. What matters is that the manuscript itself reflects substantial human creative development, judgment, revision, and authorship.
DartFrog is not interested in policing creativity through unreliable detection systems. Instead, we believe authorship is best demonstrated through the documented development of a work over time.
For this reason, DartFrog requires authors applying to our publishing programs to submit an earlier draft of their manuscript in addition to the current manuscript. This allows us to review evidence of the work’s development over time rather than relying on unreliable AI-detection tools to assess authorship.
We also strongly encourage authors to maintain clear records of their drafting and editorial process. Tools such as True Origin™ can help establish a verifiable record of how a manuscript evolved across stages of development.
Manuscripts that are primarily generated by AI without substantial human creative contribution, revision, and authorship are not a fit for DartFrog’s publishing programs.A Balaced Approach
We are neither anti-technology nor uncritical of it.
We believe AI can be useful when applied thoughtfully and transparently. We also believe there are areas of publishing where human judgment remains essential and should remain protected.
Our goal is not to remove people from publishing.
Our goal is to use technology responsibly while preserving the human creativity, editorial discernment, and literary culture that make books meaningful in the first place.