George R.R. Martin on the red carpetImage via Media Punch/INSTARimages.com
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Chris McPherson
Published 15 minutes ago
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For A Song of Ice and Fire fans, patience isn’t a virtue — it’s a survival tactic. As HBO expands the Game of Thrones universe with House of the Dragon and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the original book series remains frozen in place. And now, a new controversy surrounding a 20th-anniversary illustrated edition of A Feast for Crows has given readers an unexpected update on the long-delayed Winds of Winter — though not the update they were hoping for.
Earlier this month, Penguin Random House released a special 20th-anniversary illustrated edition of A Feast for Crows. Instead of celebration, fans immediately sounded the alarm. Social media lit up with claims that the artwork contained clear signs of generative AI: distorted backgrounds, repeating textures, and multiple instances of the genre’s most infamous tell — anatomically impossible hands.
One illustration of the Iron Islands appeared to dissolve into digital mush in the background, while another image showed a major character holding a goblet with what seemed to be six fingers. The debate escalated so loudly that George R.R. Martin’s team personally intervened. Raya Golden, who oversees art direction and licensing at Fevre River, issued a forceful denial on Martin’s blog. She stated that the artist assured them no AI tools were used, adding:
“While he is a digital multimedia artist and relies on digital programming to complete his work, he has expressed unequivocally that no AI was used, and we believe him.”
Golden reinforced that Martin’s camp has never and will never work with generative AI artists. The sensitivity around AI in Martin’s world isn’t new and it’s connected to the author’s latest legal battle. Martin is currently one of 17 authors suing OpenAI in a closely watched case alleging “systematic theft on a mass scale.” Filed in 2023, the lawsuit accuses ChatGPT of generating infringing material that mimics Martin’s copyrighted works, including what the filing describes as an “unauthorized detailed outline” for a Game of Thrones prequel titled A Dawn of Direwolves. The document reportedly included Martin’s characters — Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, and more — in sequences that resembled his storytelling style so closely that the plaintiffs argue the AI must have absorbed and replicated his books.
Last month, U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein denied OpenAI’s motion to dismiss the case, ruling that the authors plausibly argue that ChatGPT can output material “dangerously similar” to their writing. The lawsuit has now entered a more serious phase, with the court affirming that the claims merit further examination. Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild, summed up the stakes:
“It is imperative that we stop this theft in its tracks… Authors must have the ability to control if and how their works are used by generative AI.”
Is 'The Winds of Winter' Finished?
Martin has been working on The Winds of Winter for nearly 15 years. In 2010, he had reportedly finished early chapters centered on Arya, Sansa, and Arianne Martell, with roughly 100 pages completed. By 2022, he estimated he had written between 1,100 and 1,200 pages — with an expected total of roughly 1,500. That left between 400 and 500 pages still unfinished. Progress has been slowed by Martin’s perfectionism. He has admitted to repeatedly rewriting chapters he no longer liked, sometimes tearing down entire storylines to rebuild them from scratch. But in October 2025, while discussing his lawsuit against OpenAI, Martin provided a grim but revealing update on The Winds of Winter:
“No computer will ever write The Winds of Winter.”
He added that this statement itself should be interpreted as “a clear indicator that the human writing process is still incomplete.”
In other words: if the book were finished, he wouldn’t need to reassure fans that an AI won’t be the one writing it.
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Game Of Thrones
Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Action Adventure Fantasy Release Date 2011 - 2019-00-00 Showrunner David Benioff, D.B. Weiss Directors David Nutter, Alan Taylor, D.B. Weiss, David Benioff Writers D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, David Benioff Franchise(s) Game of Thrones
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Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) in 'Game of Thrones'Image via HBO
Ned Stark in Game of Thrones season 1
Peter Dinklage Looking Disheveled As Tyrion Lannister In Game Of Thrones Season 8
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