Recently, a marine life science popularization book series included an image of a "two-headed shrimp," sparking widespread discussion among netizens. The preface of the series mentioned that the vast majority of images were generated by AI (artificial intelligence) drawing tools. After the incident was exposed, the publisher has initiated a full-network removal and book recall.
Having an AI label does not replace review
"In this incident, the author and the publisher should bear responsibility together," said Ye Wenfang. For science popularization content, authors and illustrators bear responsibility for authenticity and accuracy; publishers bear review and gatekeeping responsibility through the "three reviews and three proofreadings" system. She explained that "three reviews and three proofreadings" is a system that must be implemented in the publishing field. Among them, the initial review must "strictly guard the orientation, knowledge, and text gates"; proofreaders not only check differences and similarities, but also must be responsible for content errors and knowledge errors. The "two-headed shrimp" is a typical knowledge error. Ye Wenfang said that such an error should have been discovered and intercepted during the "three reviews and three proofreadings." The fact that the error was not intercepted shows that the review and proofreading stages lacked targeted inspection standards and operational procedures for errors that may appear in AI-generated content; or although procedures existed, they were not seriously implemented, and review and proofreading became a formality. "Publishers have content review obligations and ownership review obligations, and cannot use 'having an AI label' to replace review," Ye Wenfang introduced. In this incident, the preface statement only served to disclose information and cannot exempt the publisher from the responsibility to review the scientific accuracy of illustrations and the legality of the source of rights.
AI illustrations are not necessarily protected by copyright
Regarding the question of public concern about whether AI-generated illustrations are protected by copyright, Ye Wenfang introduced that there is currently no "one-size-fits-all" answer, and the key is whether the user has made "original intellectual input" in the generation process. What is "original intellectual input"? She gave an example: if the user selects image elements by designing prompts, uses adjustment parameters to arrange layout and composition, and makes the image reflect their aesthetic choices and personal judgment, it may have "originality." For publishers, if an illustration is merely a one-time output from a simple prompt, the publisher cannot claim copyright solely based on contractual provisions.
Three prerequisites for AI-assisted creation
In Ye Wenfang's view, the use of AI-assisted creative works in publishing must meet three prerequisites: identifiable labeling, verifiable content, and traceable responsibility. In scenarios such as illustrative, decorative, and fictional scene reproduction that do not assume the function of precise scientific description, AI illustrations can be used, and they must be manually verified by relevant field experts; in occasions where scientific accuracy is crucial, such as species morphology, experimental devices, and medical diagrams, AI-generated images should in principle not be used as final versions without review by field experts. Ye Wenfang suggested adding special clauses on AI-generated content to book publishing contracts, clarifying the author's obligation to disclose AI usage, the obligation to guarantee the scientific accuracy of AI-generated content, and including knowledge errors in AI illustrations in the determination of editing and proofreading quality errors and in the assessment of responsible editors. "AI can assist publishing, but it cannot replace the publisher's manual review," Ye Wenfang said. While not rejecting technological assistance, it is necessary to hold the bottom line of authenticity and reliability in publishing.
Comments