If you ever thought you could become a successful author by asking an algorithm to write the next great isekai for you, you have bad news. The massive Japanese platform Shousetsuka ni Narou, a haven for amateur writers and the main cradle of contemporary light novels, has just made a bold move. Starting June 9, the administration will require all authors to declare if they used AI tools to write their works, and will strictly ban the publication of stories whose text was fully generated by a computer.

This drastic decision isn’t just a whim of the moderators. The site has implemented a four-category system that users must select before publishing. Authors must indicate if the text was created directly by a program, used indirectly as a draft, served as assistance for correcting errors, or if the work is 100% human. The company behind the portal explained that this measure aims to prevent catastrophic misunderstandings when these stories catch the attention of major publishers. Hiding the use of these tech tools could create huge copyright issues when signing contracts for physical books or manga.

Protecting the future of the anime industry

To understand the real impact of this new policy, just look at the platform’s impressive history. This is the website that gave birth to worldwide franchises like Re:Zero, Mushoku Tensei, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. With over 200 anime adaptations originating from its forums, nearly three million registered users, and an upcoming commercial support program to help writers connect with producers, the platform needs to ensure its vast catalog remains free of legal conflicts. The measures are so serious that starting September, even older novels that don’t update their tech usage settings will be blocked and unable to receive new chapters.

This move sets an important precedent for how Asian literature is reacting to rapid advances in automated text generation. Knowing that many new authors use virtual assistants to overcome creative blocks or improve their writing, do you think this strict regulation will help maintain the human quality of light novels, or do you believe requiring writers to label their works will end up stigmatizing the use of these tools?