ChatGPT now refuses requests to write in famous authors' exact style

In short: ChatGPT is starting to say no when users ask it to copy a famous author’s exact writing style, and it offers a more general “similar feeling” instead.

What happened

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is now refusing prompts that ask it to write directly in the style of famous authors. In tests by Ars Technica, when asked to write in Stephen King’s style, ChatGPT replied that it could not imitate his “exact style” or “distinctive voice.” It then offered an original opening that aimed for a similar mood.

Ars Technica saw similar responses for other well-known writers, including living authors like J.K. Rowling and Amy Tan, and deceased authors like Charles Dickens and Ernest Hemingway. A recent analysis by No Latency also found that ChatGPT tended to refuse style copying for living authors. However, it found the tool was more willing to comply when the author was deceased.

Instead of copying an author word for word, ChatGPT says it can use “broad qualities” such as tone, pacing, or themes (like a chef making a dish with similar flavors, but not using the exact recipe). OpenAI did not respond to Ars Technica’s request for comment.

Why it matters

This shift could matter in court. OpenAI is facing lawsuits from authors who argue that AI models were trained on their books without permission and can produce writing that is too close to copyrighted work. In the US, copyright usually protects the exact wording, not a general “style,” but an imitation could still raise legal risk if it becomes too similar to a specific text.

Source: Arstechnica