Grammarly’s new ‘Expert Review’ feature uses AI to simulate writing feedback inspired by famous authors and scholars — sparking criticism over ethics, copyright, and the digital recreation of intellectual voices without permission. (Source: Image by RR)

Grammarly Says Writer Critique Feature Provides ‘Inspiration,’ Not Endorsement

AI writing company Grammarly, now operating under the broader brand Superhuman, has introduced a controversial feature that allows users to receive writing feedback from simulated versions of famous authors and academics — including figures who are long deceased. The new “Expert Review” tool analyzes a user’s document and provides critique styled after well-known thinkers such as Stephen King, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Carl Sagan, and William Zinsser, despite none of them being affiliated with the product.

The system, as noted in an article in wired.com, does not actually involve these experts. Instead, Grammarly’s underlying large language model generates suggestions inspired by their writing styles and ideas. The company includes a disclaimer noting that the references to these figures are “for informational purposes only” and do not imply endorsement or participation. According to the company, the AI identifies influential voices relevant to a user’s topic and provides guidance based on themes or concepts found in their work.

However, the feature has sparked criticism from scholars and researchers who argue that it exploits the reputations and intellectual work of both living and deceased authors. Some critics claim the tool effectively creates AI replicas of academics and writers without consent, raising ethical and legal concerns about copyright and intellectual ownership. Historians and humanities scholars have particularly objected to the idea of “reanimating” dead thinkers through algorithmic models trained on their writings.

The controversy highlights a broader debate over how AI systems are trained and how they use creative or academic works as training data. As generative AI tools become increasingly embedded in writing, education, and research, critics warn that features like Grammarly’s “Expert Review” risk blurring the line between inspiration, imitation, and appropriation — while potentially undermining the role of real scholars and educators.

read more at wired.com