AI Policy

The Story Shack has been around since 2011. In that time, the tools available to people who make things on the internet have changed enormously. I have always tried to make thoughtful use of the tools of the time to build and improve this little corner of the web, while staying respectful of your privacy and of the craft that brings us all here: storytelling.

Your creative work is not sent to AI

The Story Shack does not use AI services as part of the normal website or app experience. The stories, notes, worlds, ideas and other content you create are not sent to an AI provider, used to train AI models or quietly analyzed by AI. I take the privacy of your creative work very seriously.

The name and idea generators on The Story Shack are not generative AI. They use curated data and purpose-built generation logic that has been at the heart of the site for many years.

AI in the development process

I do use AI-assisted tools in parts of the development process. They can help me write and review code, explore ideas, diagnose problems and improve the products more efficiently. These tools do not have access to user-created content or production account data.

I remain responsible for what is built and published. AI assistance does not replace the care, judgment or human work involved in running The Story Shack.

When you choose to connect an AI client

Some Story Shack features may let you explicitly connect a compatible AI client to your account. This is optional and only happens after you choose to connect it and authorize access. In that case, the content needed to carry out your request can be shared with the service you connected, under that service's own privacy terms. You can disconnect it again at any time.

Outside of such an explicit connection, The Story Shack does not send your creative work to AI services.

Looking ahead

AI will continue to change, and so will the tools used to build for the web. My approach will remain the same: use technology deliberately, be transparent about where it is involved, protect the trust people place in The Story Shack and never lose sight of the fact that storytelling is a human craft.

If the way AI is used changes in a meaningful way, I will update this page. If you have a question that is not answered here, you can reach me at info@thestoryshack.com.