Grammarly’s AI ‘Expert Review’ Feature Sparks Backlash from Journalists
The feature, called “Expert Review,” produces AI-generated feedback that is presented as being inspired by well-known authors, journalists, and researchers. However, the advice is not written by those individuals but generated by AI systems.
Technology journalist Casey Newton said he was surprised to find his own name included in the feature, despite never agreeing to participate.
Reports from The Verge found that several prominent figures were also listed as “experts,” including Stephen King, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Carl Sagan.
Critics argue that the design of the feature could mislead users into thinking the advice comes directly from those experts, even though a disclaimer states the references are only “for informational purposes.”
Newton said the system reflects a broader issue across the AI industry, where models are trained on large volumes of online writing and can imitate the style of real authors without consent.
The controversy highlights growing debates about how AI companies use publicly available content and personal identities in generative AI tools.
In response to the criticism, Grammarly said it plans to allow experts to opt out of the feature if they do not want their names used.
The company stated that the tool was intended to help users discover influential perspectives and improve their writing, but acknowledged that the product experience could be improved.
The incident comes as AI-powered writing tools face increasing competition from general-purpose chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, which already offer editing and writing assistance.
