University of Sydney MFA admits defeat in AI age, rejects offer
A hopeful writer landed a spot in the University of Sydney’s creative writing graduate program in January 2024—but turned it down fast. The reason? AI is rewriting the rules for writers everywhere.
The applicant cherished storytelling and dreamed of a bestseller. But the rise of ChatGPT and other AI tools made the traditional path look obsolete. Media layoffs and floods of AI-generated books signaled a harsh new market. 
The MFA program still treats the literary world like nothing’s changed. But the writer saw a future packed with AI churned-out ebooks and editors hunting for cheaper AI stories. The risk? Becoming irrelevant.
"I pictured myself two years later, with my degree in hand, querying agents while thousands of AI-written books filled bookstores. I imagined spending time writing amazing essays that editors would run through AI filters before deciding whether they wanted to assign cheaper versions of the story. The thought of being obsolete scared me stiff."
The writer weighed the $50,000 price tag and decided creativity needs to adapt or die. The MFA was shelved. Instead, they’re freelancing and diving into communities focused on authentic storytelling—reinventing writing in the AI era.
"Many people told me I was being overly dramatic because AI could never replace real writing and humans will always crave authentic stories, but I thought they were underestimating how quickly the market is shifting."
For now, the MFA stands as a symbol of an old world facing AI’s rapid takeover. The writer isn’t quitting—they’re rewriting their future.
