Margaret Atwood on AI, free speech, and why book bans backfire

Author Margaret Atwood recently visited Porto, Portugal to discuss her memoir, Book of Lives. The event took place during the Babell Literary and Cultural Festival, which continues until 29 June. Atwood shared her thoughts on writing, AI, and the challenges of free speech in today’s world. Atwood has seen her own books frequently targeted by political bans because of their controversial themes. She joked that such bans could even boost sales, turning censorship into an unintended marketing tool. She also humourously refused to name a favourite among her works, saying the others might ‘take revenge’.

On artificial intelligence, she expressed scepticism about its reliability. She once tested Anthropic’s Claude AI to find a spoiler for Father Brown, but it provided the wrong answer. This led her to conclude that AI often follows the rule of ‘garbage in, garbage out’.

Living in Canada, she described the country as largely committed to freedom of speech and thought. Yet she voiced concern about the current political climate in the United States, where these freedoms appear under threat. Atwood’s visit highlighted her ongoing engagement with literature, technology, and free expression. Her remarks in Porto underscored both her cautious view of AI and her defence of open discourse. The festival continues, giving audiences more opportunities to hear from leading voices in literature.