Mighty Radio's Trevor Ford Publishes "The Death of the Author and the Rise of AI"
Mighty Radio breakfast presenter Trevor Ford has released his first book, The Death of the Author and the Rise of AI. It looks at what authorship means when machines can draft, edit, and even co-create.
Ford is a mature BA (Hons) Drama student at Edge Hill University and joined the full-time course in October 2025. He has turned insights from a single lecture into a clear, practical analysis for writers who want to stay relevant without losing their voice.
The book draws on Roland Barthes' thinking on authorship and Alan Turing's ideas on machine intelligence, and applies them to modern writing practice. For context on Barthes, see this overview from Encyclopaedia Britannica.
"I just couldn't get Barthes' ideas out of my mind, and the more I thought about them, the more I wanted to explore the role of AI in shaping what it means to be a creator today," Ford says.
Across the book, Ford explores machine intelligence, the erosion of traditional ideas of single-author ownership, and a practical middle ground where writers and AI collaborate. With 40+ years as an actor, voice-over artist, and radio presenter, he translates heavy theory into plain language and useful examples.
What writers can expect
- Clarity on where "voice" lives when drafts are AI-assisted-and how to protect yours.
- Ways to credit, disclose, and set boundaries with clients and editors on AI use.
- Frameworks for human-AI collaboration that keep you in control of quality.
- Questions to stress-test originality, intent, and meaning in your work.
Practical takeaways for your process
- Create a personal style guide (tone, rhythm, banned phrases) and apply it to both human and AI drafts.
- Use structured prompts: goal → audience → constraints → examples → format. Iterate with feedback from your style guide.
- Disclose AI assistance where appropriate and document decision points for clients and editors.
- Draft with AI, edit like an artisan: rewrite openings, reshape structure, and inject lived experience only you can provide.
- Keep a citations log for sources and model outputs that informed ideas, not just quotes.
- Define "no-go" zones (e.g., sensitive topics, client IP) where you won't use AI tools.
Availability
The Death of the Author and the Rise of AI is available in paperback and digital formats. Learn more or order here: The Death of the Author and the Rise of AI on Amazon.
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