Artificial Intelligence and Authorship: Rethinking Creativity in English Literature

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) in creative writing has generated renewed debates around authorship, creativity, originality, and literary agency within English literary studies. Traditionally, authorship has been understood as a distinctly human endeavor grounded in imagination, intentionality, and lived experience. However, the increasing presence of AI-generated poetry, fiction, and critical texts challenges these long-established assumptions. This review paper critically surveys existing scholarship on artificial intelligence and literary creativity, drawing on poststructuralist theory, digital humanities, and posthuman perspectives to reassess the concept of authorship in contemporary English literature. By synthesizing theoretical debates, critical arguments, and emerging case studies, the paper argues that AI does not negate human creativity but reconfigures it as a collaborative, process-oriented practice involving both human and non-human agents. The review also examines ethical concerns related to originality, intellectual property, and academic integrity, as well as pedagogical implications for English literature classrooms in the AI era. Ultimately, the paper positions artificial intelligence as a transformative force that necessitates a rethinking of creativity and authorship, urging literary studies to develop revised critical frameworks responsive to technologically mediated textual production.