Grammarly recently released a controversial feature called “Expert Review.” This tool uses artificial intelligence to simulate editorial feedback, making it appear as though users are receiving critiques from famous figures like novelist Stephen King, the late scientist Carl Sagan, or tech journalist Kara Swisher. However, Grammarly did not obtain permission from the hundreds of experts whose names it used in this feature.
One affected writer, journalist Julia Angwin, has filed a class action lawsuit against Superhuman, Grammarly’s parent company. She argues the company violated the privacy and publicity rights of her and the other writers it impersonated. The lawsuit allows other writers to join Angwin in her case.
In a statement, Angwin expressed her distress, noting she has spent decades honing her skills as a writer and editor only to find a tech company selling an imposter version of her hard-earned expertise. The situation carries a note of irony, as Angwin has built her career investigating tech companies’ impacts on privacy. Other critics of such technology, like renowned AI ethicist Timnit Gebru, were also included in Grammarly’s feature without their consent.
The “Expert Review” feature is available only to subscribers paying one hundred forty-four dollars a year. It predictably fails to deliver on its promise of thoughtful feedback. Casey Newton, founder of the tech newsletter Platformer and another person impersonated by Grammarly, tested the tool by feeding it one of his own articles. He received feedback from Grammarly’s approximation of Kara Swisher that was so generic it raises the question of why the company used these writers’ likenesses at all.
The AI-generated feedback from the fake Kara Swisher suggested, “Could you briefly compare how daily AI users versus AI skeptics articulate risk, creating a through-line readers can follow?”
Newton shared this message with the real Kara Swisher. Her response was pointed. She texted Newton, referring to Grammarly, “You rapacious information and identity thieves better get ready for me to go full McConaughey on you. Also, you suck.”
Following the backlash, Grammarly has disabled the “Expert Review” feature. Superhuman CEO Shishir Mehrotra confirmed this in a LinkedIn post. While Mehrotra offered an apology, he continued to defend the concept behind the feature. He wrote about imagining a professor sharpening an essay or a leading expert elevating a proposal, suggesting it was a chance for experts to build a ubiquitous bond with users.