- What role does AI play at Darkwaters?
- Why independent AI, rather than a conventional service?
- Technology with human oversight
Darkwaters and artificial intelligence: the role of a tool, nothing more
Darkwaters Publishing House is an independent publishing house that made a fairly natural choice: to use artificial intelligence that is also managed independently.
In practice, our AI runs locally, on a private machine. It does not depend on a large external artificial intelligence service or a remote data center accessed with each use.
This lets us retain control over our tool, its use and above all the role we want it to have.
And that role is very simple: AI assists, humans decide.
What role does AI play at Darkwaters?
Our author C. Waterton has this AI available as a tool to support her work — nothing more.
Creative, artistic and editorial choices remain human. Artificial intelligence is simply an additional resource, just like layout, design or retouching software.
It can help, make suggestions or facilitate certain tasks. It does not make decisions for us.
At Darkwaters, a book remains above all the result of human work and choices.
Why independent AI?
Because independence is not just about the books we publish.
Darkwaters is an independent publishing house. So it seemed consistent to us to also retain, as much as possible, control over the tools we use.
Our AI is based on open technologies and runs locally, on a private machine. We therefore do not have to go through a large artificial intelligence platform and its data centers to use it.
It is another way of thinking about AI: on a small scale, under our control and according to our own needs.
An independent publishing house, in short, with independently managed AI.
And the environmental impact?
The environmental question is also part of our thinking.
Artificial intelligence is never without impact: it requires hardware and electricity to run. We therefore prefer to talk about "measured use" rather than claim to have "green AI".
Having a local tool allows us to use it only when we need it, at our scale, without systematically relying on large AI services and their remote data centers.
Our approach is ultimately quite simple: use technology when it is actually useful, rather than use it everywhere simply because it exists.
How is AI overseen at Darkwaters?
The tool is chosen, configured and used within the framework defined by Darkwaters. It can support certain needs of our editorial team, but final decisions remain human.
This distinction matters to us.
Darkwaters keeps up with the times and does not wish to reject a technology simply because it is new. We prefer to understand it, master it and give it a role proportionate to its usefulness.
Artificial intelligence therefore remains what we believe it should be: a tool that serves the people who use it.
Darkwaters remains an independent publishing house. Its AI is managed in the same spirit.
Does Darkwaters use artificial intelligence?
Yes, internally, as an assistance tool for its editorial team and certain authors.
Does this AI replace Darkwaters authors and illustrators?
No. AI is an available resource, for example to help carry out certain tasks. It is not a decision-maker: creative choices remain human.
Where is Darkwaters AI hosted?
Independently, that is to say on a private server that we physically own. This means we do not rely on a large corporation's data center.
Who oversees the use of this AI at Darkwaters?
The editorial team at Darkwaters, which sets the framework for its use.