The Case Against Disclosure: Defending Creative Autonomy in the Age of AI
Document Type
Book
Abstract
The book advances a provocative argument against the growing institutional movement to mandate disclosure of artificial intelligence in creative practice. At a moment when universities, publishers, and regulatory bodies insist on transparency regarding the use of generative systems, this book contends that such requirements misconstrue the very nature of authorship. Disclosure regimes, rather than safeguarding integrity, function as bureaucratic instruments that prioritize procedural conformity over the lived realities of creative innovation. By framing transparency as an obligation rather than a choice, they risk constraining creators within rigid orthodoxies that undermine experimentation and silence emergent forms of authorship. Drawing on historical precedents, contemporary case studies, and evolving legal frameworks, the authors demonstrate that accountability is not achieved through documenting every technological intervention but through an author’s willingness to assume responsibility for the work as presented. They argue that mandatory disclosure is both impractical—given the complexity and opacity of modern AI systems—and inequitable, disproportionately burdening independent creators and interdisciplinary practitioners. In rejecting the presumption that transparency equates to credibility, the book proposes a recalibration of authorship: one grounded in responsibility and trust rather than exhaustive process reporting. This conceptual shift opens a pathway toward policies that respect creative autonomy while still recognizing the realities of technologically mediated production.
Publication Date
8-2025
Recommended Citation
Hutson, James and Plate, Daniel, "The Case Against Disclosure: Defending Creative Autonomy in the Age of AI" (2025). Faculty Scholarship. 756.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/faculty-research-papers/756