Introduction

Our overall guiding principle is: we want to create books with humans.

AI has already become a powerful tool for business, providing benefits including: increased efficiency of repetitive tasks and routine tasks, providing valuable insights and improving business performance. It is set to become more and more widely used, potentially revolutionising some knowledge based areas. 

The purpose of this policy is to ensure that any AI usage is done ethically, securely, and effectively to support our business goals while respecting privacy, confidentiality, and legal standards. This policy applies to all employees, contractors, and third parties who have access to or utilize AI systems and tools on behalf of the organization.

Use of AI

Relay Publishing allows and encourages the use of AI to improve efficiency and effectiveness of routine tasks in operations, marketing, finance and research areas. Employees should use AI systems to enhance productivity, decision-making, and problem-solving within their operational roles, while still maintaining a human-in-the-loop approach.

Use of AI to directly produce creative book (e.g. manuscript) output is prohibited. 

Areas that are considered permissible include:

• Book Cover A/B Testing
  • Initial drafts for book covers may be created using AI for A/B testing purposes. The winning draft is then provided to a human designer for final development.
• Blurb Enhancements
  • AI can be used to enhance blurbs wholesale or as a brainstorming partner to find best words or phrases.
• Concept Brainstorming
  • AI can be used as a brainstorming partner, including offering alternative ideas and approaches.
• AI Assisted Translating (for certain languages when directed)
• Research & Development
  • Including brainstorming creative ideas, researching settings or plot points (i.e ‘Give me 5 ways heroine could use survivalist knowledge in this scenario’ or ‘Give me 10 ideas for how the heroine could betray the hero’).
• Editing
  • Limited usage: for example finding repetition.
• AI Beta Reader Teams
  • AI systems may be used to simulate beta reader teams, with beta reader profiles modeled on real readers to provide accurate, scalable feedback.  This is the choice of the Managing Editor, and should only be used as a tool to further enhance actual beta Reader feedback.
• Audiobook creation
  • Restricted to certain titles only that would otherwise not be produced, with human narration favoured.
• Recruitment
  • May be used for screening applicants or analysing samples received not always with human oversight.
• Marketing & Social Media
  • Producing content for social media posts and content calendars, using AI generated images to bring elements of the book to life for readers i.e. characters, settings, scenes, themes, fantasy worlds
• Operations
  • AI assistance in writing messages and assisting in project management as needed.
• Finance
  • Data mining, use in managing excel spreadsheets.

Restrictions

Relay Publishing does not use AI to produce its outlines and manuscripts, and continues to work with writers and editors to create outlines and manuscripts. However, outlines may be extended using AI assistance at the end of the outline-writing process, with human review.

We do not use AI for the final design of book covers; instead, AI-generated drafts may be created for A/B testing, but the final cover is developed by a human designer.

AI is not used to replace human creativity or oversight in critical creative processes. All AI-generated content or ideas must be reviewed by a human before being published or implemented.

Monitoring AI

AI should be discussed at every team meeting to monitor any changes, issues as well as share new ways that AI may be of use to a team. Any new use of AI should be monitored for accuracy and impact before becoming part of a process and should be checked against this policy to ensure that it complies with overall company policy.

Ethics of AI use

Relay are committed to using AI ethically and will take on board the opinions of staff in the use of this moving forward. We seek to improve our efficiency and any use of AI for creative content is discussed prior to moving forward to minimise the free use of artists’ work. If any staff member has reservations about the way that Relay is using AI in any aspect they are encouraged to raise these for discussion openly and honestly.