Grammarly Disables Expert Review Feature After Backlash Over Unauthorized AI Voice Cloning

Summary

Grammarly has announced it will disable its Expert Review feature, which used AI to generate writing suggestions inspired by the work of prominent writers and experts without their explicit permission. The decision comes after significant criticism from journalists, authors, and industry figures who felt their voices were being misrepresented and cloned without proper consent. CEO Shishir Mehrotra issued a public apology, acknowledging that the company "fell short" and "missed the mark" in its initial approach. Going forward, Grammarly plans to redesign the feature to give experts genuine control over whether and how their knowledge is represented, moving away from the opt-out model that drew criticism.

• The incident highlights growing concerns about AI companies using public figures' identities and styles in generative AI systems without clear consent

Editorial Opinion

Grammarly's decision to disable Expert Review and redesign it with proper consent mechanisms represents a meaningful step toward more ethical AI development, but raises important questions about how many companies are currently using creators' work and identities without permission. This incident underscores the need for industry-wide standards around consent and representation before AI systems are trained on or inspired by individuals' creative work. While Grammarly's willingness to listen and course-correct is commendable, it also suggests the company should have conducted more thorough ethical review before launch—a lesson that should resonate across the entire AI industry.