Meta’s Use of Pirated Material to Train AI, and Why You Should Care

It all started with a piece in The Atlantic by Alex Reisner ( https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2025/03/libgen-meta-openai/682093/ ) revealing that Meta, the organisation behind social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, have been using a library of pirated written material to train their generative AI. Of course, this is a bit of a simplistic starting point. There have been ongoing outrages throughout creative communities for years now, including legal cases brought by users of DeviantArt to MidJourney for their use of copyrighted images to train AI ( https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2024/05/10/deviantart-midjourney-stable-diffusion-artificial-intelligence-image-generators ). Similarly, a group of authors, including Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad, brought a lawsuit against OpenAI for book scraping ( https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jul/05/authors-file-a-lawsuit-against-openai-for-unlawfully-ingesting-their-books ) that were partially dismissed in February ( https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/14/two-openai-book-lawsuits-partially-dismissed-by-california-court ). But the recent furore, and the betrayal of the writing community, is suddenly very focused around this issue.

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Writing Prompt Wednesdays: The Fool

Welcome to “Writing Prompt Wednesdays,” a haven where your imagination can roam free in the realms of speculative fiction. As we embark on this weekly journey, it’s thrilling to think about the untold stories waiting to be penned in the domains of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. Whether you’re a seasoned author or a budding wordsmith, these prompts are your gateway to unexplored worlds and untapped potentials.

Every Wednesday, we’ll serve up a fresh, thought-provoking prompt designed to ignite your creative spark and challenge your storytelling prowess. Think of these prompts as a key, unlocking the doors to uncharted territories where your creativity is the only limit. From eerie, shadow-laden corridors of Gothic horror to the farthest reaches of interstellar space, and the mystical depths of high fantasy, our prompts are a kaleidoscope of possibilities.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to approach these prompts. They are mere stepping stones, guiding you towards the vast landscapes of your imagination. Use them to break free from writer’s block, to experiment with new ideas, or simply as a fun exercise to keep your writing skills sharp.

This week’s writing prompt:

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It is with great sadness and shock that Horror Tree heard of the passing of writer Patrick Winters following a battle with ill-health that we all thought he had won.

Patrick had been a longstanding contributor to Trembling With Fear (TWF), and when I did a quick check of TWF’s emails, I saw possibly his first submission was to Stuart back in January, 2017. His last submission was early 2024. This means he is someone who has worked with all three editors at TWF: Stuart, myself, and Lauren!

His writing was always enjoyable, often with a good twist, and he was certainly skilled at his art. He was also able to home in on an editor’s interests. I recall an Unholy Trinity written as an homage to the rock band Dio, and Patrick was fully aware of my love of metal (this can be read here). So it was with great delight that we watched him move beyond TWF, with wider publishing success, including his novelette, Seeing, which I reviewed on its publication. Even more poignant now was his very recent announcement sharing the news of his upcoming debut short story collection, Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones, with Baynam Books Press. And he continued all this whilst hitting ups and downs of serious illness and personal loss. I honestly think he had a lot more to offer the writing world – if only he had been given more time. He was a man of resolution, determination, and not an ounce of self-pity, and will always be a part of the TWF family at Horror Tree.

You can find full details of his writing on his website Publications – Patrick Winters, and this includes those published on TWF.

If you have a memory you wish to share with his family and friends, you can do so here.

Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this time.