Tuhin Chakrabarty is a computer scientist at the State University of New York at Stony Brook who studies how to detect AI-generated text. His research drew global attention earlier this year after a journalist cited it as supporting evidence to claim that significant portions of the bestselling 2026 novel Daggermouth were produced using artificial intelligence — an allegation that the book’s author, H. M. Wolfe, has denied. Nature spoke to Chakrabarty about his work, why it matters and what the rise of AI means for the future of creativity.

How did you become interested in detecting AI-generated writing?

I live in New York City, and I’m surrounded by creative people. I can understand why artists are enraged about AI. It can take years to write a book, but an AI chatbot can churn one out in 15 minutes. That got me interested in the subject of copyright and creativity. As AI use spreads, the future is going to get messier. What qualifies for copyright protection?…