A writer is suing Grammarly for turning her and other authors into ‘AI editors’ without consent
Journalist Julia Angwin leads class action after Grammarly's AI mimicked Stephen King, Kara Swisher, and hundreds of others.
Grammarly's parent company, Superhuman, is facing a significant legal challenge after launching an AI feature called 'Expert Review' that impersonated hundreds of prominent figures without their consent. The tool, available exclusively to subscribers paying $144 annually, allowed users to receive simulated editorial feedback framed as coming from experts like novelist Stephen King, scientist Carl Sagan, and tech journalist Kara Swisher. Journalist and privacy investigator Julia Angwin, who was among those impersonated, has filed a class action lawsuit alleging violations of privacy and publicity rights. Angwin stated her distress that a tech company was 'selling an imposter version of my hard-earned expertise.' The lawsuit opens the door for other affected writers to join the case.
Critics, including some of the impersonated experts themselves, found the feature's output to be disappointingly generic. Casey Newton of Platformer tested the tool and shared the AI's 'Kara Swisher' feedback with the real Swisher, who responded with fury, calling Grammarly 'rapacious information and identity thieves.' Following the backlash, Superhuman CEO Shishir Mehrotra announced on LinkedIn that the 'Expert Review' feature had been disabled. While offering an apology, Mehrotra continued to defend the core idea, suggesting it could help experts build a 'ubiquitous bond with users.' The incident highlights the escalating legal and ethical risks for AI companies that train models or create features using personal identities and reputations without clear authorization.
- Journalist Julia Angwin filed a class action lawsuit against Superhuman (Grammarly's parent) for the AI 'Expert Review' feature that used her and hundreds of others' names without permission.
- The $144/year feature generated generic editorial feedback by impersonating experts like Stephen King, Carl Sagan, and Kara Swisher, drawing sharp criticism from those impersonated.
- Grammarly has disabled the feature following the lawsuit and public outcry, though CEO Shishir Mehrotra defended the concept of letting AI simulate expert feedback.
Why It Matters
Sets a critical precedent for AI companies using personal identities and reputations in products, directly impacting creator rights and brand safety.