Purpose

This policy is intended to provide guidance to all Boroondara Writers Inc members on the use of AI tools in their writing presented at Group meetings and for publication.

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Introduction: What is Generative AI?

We have all used writing assistance tools like Grammarly and Microsoft’s Spell Check & Grammar. Generative AI is different. 

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“Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)” is an internet-based tool that creates new, original content—including text, images, video, audio, and code—by learning patterns from large datasets. In the context of writing, “large datasets” means it uses the published and copyrighted work of established writers without compensation or acknowledgement.

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Examples of AI writing tools currently available include:

• Open AI’s ChatGPT

• Anthropic’s Claude

• Microsoft’s Co-Pilot

• Google’s Gemini

 

At present, Australian copyright law does not include the use of AI. As the law currently stands, the user of the AI tool retains the copyright of whatever is produced. These tools provide some usage for free before a paid-subscription model is activated.

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Writers use AI tools to research, brainstorm, generate outlines, edit work and write entire pieces based on prompts. There is no universally accepted label for AI use but in general, it falls into two categories:

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AI-assisted work. This means the writer originated and drove the work, with AI contributing along the way, either by providing background research, providing editorial assistance, and/or revising spelling and grammar, and language translation.

 

AI-generated work. This means AI created the primary content from the writer’s prompts and direction, with minor edits from the writer. For example, you asked ChatGPT to write a 1,000 word story about a princess and a unicorn in the style of J K Rowling and present it as your own work.

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Boroondara Writers Policy on the Use of AI at Meetings

AI-generated work is explicitly banned from presentation at our writers group. Writing is a hobby, passion and necessity for writers. The entire purpose of a writer’s group is that you are seeking critique on your own work not what an online tool has generated based on other writers’ work.

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AI-assisted work is acceptable with written acknowledgement. Acceptable uses of AI include:

• Research

• Date-checking

• Correction of minor grammatical errors

• Shortening pieces to fit the 1,000 word limit

 

Any writer who has used an AI-assistance tool for their work presented at writers group needs to include a statement of acknowledgement on the physical copy, such as:

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I acknowledge I used [name of AI tool] for [how you used the tool, i.e. research purposes and grammar correction].

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Boroondara Writers Policy on the Use of AI in Publications

• Boroondara Writers Inc will not publish AI-generated work in its anthology or any other ad hoc publications.

• The use of AI assistance in preparing work for publication is acceptable with written acknowledgement, as per work presented at group meetings.

• A statement of acknowledgement needs to be included on the submitted copy, such as:

• I acknowledge I used [name of AI tool] for [how you used the AI tool].

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Implementation

Boroondara Writers Inc considers the payment of Boroondara Writers annual fee as agreement to adhere to this policy.

 

Prepared by Sarah Craze, Coordinator, Boroondara Writers Inc

Boroondara.writers.inc@gmail.com

Approved on 30 May 2026