Judgment in the Age of AI · Article 21
Authorship is not determined only by who produced the sentences. It also concerns who chose the question, formed the position, checked the facts, approved the final words and will respond when something is wrong. AI may assist expression, but it cannot sign a commitment, answer criticism or bear consequences.
An author leaves four signatures
- Question: Why was this written and what does it truly answer?
- Judgement: Which positions did you accept, reject or revise?
- Evidence: Which sources did you personally inspect?
- Responsibility: Who will investigate and correct an error?
Three modes of use carry different authorship
| Use | Human contribution |
|---|---|
| Polishing an existing article | Ideas and structure are the author’s; AI improves expression |
| Collaborative drafting | The author supplies material, chooses the argument and rewrites key sections |
| Publishing generated output directly | Human contribution may shrink to an instruction, but responsibility does not disappear |
A simple test
If you cannot explain the central argument without AI or locate support for every important fact, you do not yet own the article.
AI assistance does not automatically remove human authorship; it increases the need to explain process, verify content and accept accountability.
References
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