A question about AI as a tool versus AI as the creator.

What exactly is wrong with using AI to help with grammar, spelling, formatting, or organizing ideas? At the end of the day, it is a tool. No different than a computer, a word processor, spell-check software, or even a dictionary sitting on a bookshelf. Nobody accuses an author of cheating because they looked up a word in Webster’s or used Microsoft Word instead of a typewriter.

The way some people talk about AI, you’d think authors should be chiselling their manuscripts into stone tablets with a hammer and chisel just to prove their authenticity.

From my experience with book covers, a talented artist is absolutely worth their fee. Good artwork matters. However, being a great artist does not automatically mean someone knows how to design a cover that sells books. Those are two different skills. Unless an artist is also trained in book marketing, reader psychology, genre expectations, and publishing trends, creating a beautiful image is only part of the equation.

A book cover is not wall art. Its job is to stop a potential reader from scrolling past it.

There are many layers involved. Genre matters. Demographics matter. The topic matters. The purpose of the book matters. A university textbook should not look like a fantasy novel. A memoir should not resemble a political editorial. A photo book serves a different purpose than a retirement guide. Every category has its own visual language and reader expectations.

That is why I am not convinced that any artist, no matter how talented, automatically knows what attracts readers across every genre. Just as I would not ask a heart surgeon to repair my transmission, I would not assume every illustrator is an expert in book marketing.

My point is simple. There is no universal right or wrong answer. It depends on your intent, your purpose, and your authenticity. Whether you use a dictionary, a computer, an editor, an artist, or AI, they are all tools that help bring your ideas to life.

The question is not what tools you used.

The question is whether you created something meaningful for the people you hope will read it.

Everything else is just noise.