This story was reported as a day story covering the Annual Gathering of the Ghosts in New York City on the 11th of October, 2025.
INTRO
This morning, ghostwriters stepped out of the shadows for the second annual Gathering of the Ghosts. This two day conference and networking event was held at the New York Academy of Medicine Like other professions, Artificial Intelligence hasn’t spared the world of ghostwriters. Reporter Muskaan Shah spoke with some of these writers to learn what it’s like to be a ghostwriter, especially in the age of A.I.
REPORTER 1
(FADE IN AMBI_background) Ghostwriters are the people behind celebrity memoirs, politicians’ speeches, even articles and several bestselling books. A.I. is a technology and ghostwriting is a profession that many people do not understand very well. Kevin Anderson, CEO of Kevin Anderson and Associates says that A.I. has taken over some of ghostwriters’ tasks.
ANDERSON 1
If you would just want to write a generic book on a topic and that is a lot of people’s goals, for writing a book. If that’s your goal then A.I. has really taken over that. So that market which was usually ghostwriters charging pretty much on the low end, it’s really killed their businesses. That’s really had an impact on them because why would you hire someone for 20,000 bucks to write a generic book if you can just have AI do it and I am totally circumventing the ethical concerns here.
REPORTER 2
(FADE IN AMBI_background) Meanwhile Michael Long, a ghostwriter and formerly a physicist, does not consider A.I. a threat.
LONG 1
Once I came to understand the different nature of AI, I fell in love with it. I get more work done, faster, it’s raised my income significantly. And it does not take the place of the human but it does unburden the writer of the kinds of objective work that almost any well-trained editor can do and that leaves you more of your energy which is limited to do what only you can do.
REPORTER 3
(FADE IN AMBI_background) Due to the nature of their work, several ghostwriters seek a community. That connection has become especially important as their craft evolves in the age of A.I. Long says that this conference connects them with their community.
LONG 2
Thank goodness for Gotham Ghostwriters because it’s the only organization that has brought us together in a formal way like this two years in a row now for the Gathering of the Ghosts. It’s not going on anywhere else.
Muskaan Shah, Columbia Radio News.
