A Note on the use of AI  by C. Alexander, EIC

Alchemical does not consider AI generated work. The publishing landscape is changing, I’ll agree. Incredible technology at the touch of a button, driverless cars, the future is now, and so on and so forth. But, the fact remains: we will not consider AI generated work.

Let me explain why. Alchemical aims to publish writers. The craft of writing includes the inherent notion that something must be written: words on paper, so to speak, arranged in some fashion that will mean some ‘thing’ to readers. It is a craft that takes time to hone – a skill to be developed no different than anything else. Like fine woodworking, bespoke tailoring, or blacksmithing. Alchemical exists to support the integrity of our craft, and to support those who have taken on such the undertaking as to attempt to work towards some sort of mastery of said craft.

There is no room for AI in any of this. It is, simply put, not a part of our craft.

I wouldn’t tell you to cheat on an exam, or to pretend to be someone you’re not, or to ask your friend to help you with your personal essay, or to use Google to help you with ideas. I’m not saying these things don’t happen, but what kind of teacher or mentor would I be if I encouraged this?

If you’re a writer, you need to spend time in the forge. Don’t look for an easy way out. In fact, if you consistently remember to take the more hauntingly adverse of the two paths before you, you’ll often find yourself closer to your goal destination. 

You can use today’s technology as you see fit – but we won’t consider anything that was generated by AI. This includes prose with AI generated inclusions, be they sections, titles, or sentences generated by AI.

What about “AI-assisted”?

Assisted with what, exactly? If you used AI to help you research geographical locations in the valley regions of the Andes mountains, so you could make the setting of your story more realistic, say, to ensure you’ve got the right flora and fauna so that things make ecological or biological “sense,” for your short fiction piece on climate change, that’s fine by me.

But this, that, or the other?

Nah. Probably not.

 

ca 9/15/26