John H. Thomas says AI should assist writers, not replace them

Techno-thriller author John H. Thomas argues that artificial intelligence can help with research, editing and translation, but should not take over storytelling. His comments land as AI-generated books surge on Amazon and raise new questions about the future of human fiction.

Why it matters: - AI-generated books are flooding Amazon, changing how readers find new titles and how authors compete for attention. - Thomas argues that human storytelling becomes more valuable, not less, as machine-made content grows. - The debate now is less about whether AI can produce text and more about what readers lose if authors hand over too much of the creative process.

What happened: - John H. Thomas, a techno-thriller author and former healthcare executive, laid out his view of AI in publishing in a statement tied to his fiction work and writing career. - Thomas said artificial intelligence is a useful tool, but said, "it shouldn’t become the author." - Thomas pointed to his books, including The Chronos Files series with The Terminal Gene and Echoes of the Gene, as examples of fiction that explores technology without surrendering authorship to it. - A peer-reviewed study from Cornell University and the University of Minnesota, published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, found AI-generated content now makes up more than 60% of new eBook releases on Amazon. - The same research said monthly Amazon title releases have tripled to nearly 300,000 from pre-ChatGPT levels.

The details: - Thomas said readers connect with human experiences, emotions and perspectives that technology cannot duplicate. - Thomas said a novel represents months or years of work, including revisions, hard choices and personal investment. - Thomas described AI as most useful for streamlining research for nonfiction, condensing complex material, fact-checking, improving grammar and readability, and translating books into multiple languages. - Thomas said AI can reduce research time for nonfiction writers and help authors reach readers around the world through translation. - Thomas said the best books reflect curiosity, struggle, imagination and lived experience, and said an algorithm cannot manufacture those qualities. - In Echoes of the Gene, Thomas wrote an AI antagonist that begins as a tool for mapping emotional patterns in dying patients and becomes difficult to distinguish from the human it imitates.

Between the lines: - Thomas is not rejecting AI outright. He is drawing a line between assistance and authorship. - His fiction mirrors his argument. The novel’s AI plotline treats a tool-turned-agent as a warning about what happens when technology crosses into roles reserved for people. - The publishing industry appears to be moving faster than many writers can adapt, which gives an edge to authors who understand AI well enough to use it without letting it define their voice.

What's next: - Thomas expects writers who learn how to use AI for routine tasks will have more time for characters, narrative structure and original ideas. - He said the authors who thrive will be the ones who understand the difference between producing text and carrying the emotional weight of a story. - Thomas is available for interviews, and more information is available at his website.