Artifact 01
The Atlantic · Guest Essay
March 31, 2026
Op-Ed WritingPublic ArgumentationAudience AdaptationSource IntegrationVoice & Tone
~8 min read
The Great AI Heist
How Machines Are Learning From Your Life's Work
Tech companies are building the future on the backs of human creativity — without asking for permission or offering a dime.
Written for ENGW 3304 (Advanced Writing in Business Administration) at Northeastern University, this Op-Ed was formatted for publication in The Atlantic and directed at a general educated readership. The assignment required students to take a clear, defensible position on a contested public issue, adapt their voice and style to a specific publication's audience, and support their argument with credible sources while maintaining the accessible, urgent tone that defines quality opinion journalism.
Central Argument: To argue that AI companies are training their systems on copyrighted creative work without consent or compensation — and to call for three concrete policy changes that would protect creators.