About Time exists to promote real human voices. We upskill new writers and tell authentic stories, and we value the process of writing and learning as much as the final story.
AI models write cleanly and quickly, but the writing is often bland and dry, and it does not reflect your voice or your story. We have received many submissions clearly written with the help of AI. The writing is free of grammatical errors, but it lacks the warmth and power of a writer's real and imperfect voice.
We will always prefer an imperfect piece of prose written by a human.
1. Scope
This policy applies to everyone who submits written or visual work to About Time for publication.
2. Our standard
About Time adopts the guidelines for authors and writers set out by Proudly Human.
AI must not be used to generate non-trivial content that is incorporated into the final work. All creative expression and authorship must remain the original contribution of the human creator.
Your use of AI must be limited to de minimis levels: uses so minor or mechanical that they do not affect the copyrightable authorship of the work and, in practical terms, do not alter its human-created nature. AI can be useful for basic tasks, but it should should not be a substitute for human creativity.
3. Acceptable AI use
- Researching facts and building your understanding of a topic, supported by original sources
- Critiquing and/or testing story concepts and ideas
- Checking spelling and grammar
- Formatting or applying styles
- Technical tasks such as sharpening, colour correction or noise reduction of illustrations or photographs
4. Unacceptable AI use
- Generating portions of the final text, such as a sentence or a paragraph
- Generating draft text that you then edit
- Editing text that you have drafted, aside from reviewing and accepting minor proofing changes
- AI-generated design elements or creative content that meaningfully contribute to the final work
- AI-generated material that would be copyrightable if created by a human
- AI-generated visual art, illustrations, special effects or imagery
5. Assistive technology and accessibility
This policy does not restrict the use of AI or software as an accessibility aid. Dictation, speech-to-text, screen readers, text-to-speech, translation of your own words into English and similar tools are all fine, provided the words, ideas and voice remain yours.
If you are unsure whether a tool you rely on is caught by this policy, contact us before you submit. We would rather answer the question than lose your story.
6. Editorial discretion
By submitting an article to About Time for publication, you acknowledge that the editors have full discretion to determine whether the piece was written partially or wholly by AI, and if so, to ask you to rewrite it.
Where we form that view, we will raise it with you directly and give you the chance to respond before any decision is made. Editors assess authenticity and voice, not the output of AI-detection tools alone.
7. Consequences
If a piece is found to breach this policy, we may ask for a rewrite, decline to publish, or withdraw a piece that has already been published. Repeated or deliberate breaches may end a contributor relationship.
8. Questions and review
Questions about this policy can be directed to editor@abouttime.org.au