Short answer: The best way to reply to an AI accusation is once, privately and calmly: thank the person, say plainly how you made the work, attach a small set of your own process records, and offer to answer questions. Don’t argue about detector scores, and don’t send everything you have. Pick the three to five records that show how the work developed: dated drafts, layered files, session files, a timelapse, notes. If any of those files were timestamped, say exactly what the timestamp shows: that the file existed no later than the recorded time. It doesn’t show who made it or whether AI was used. Below are short templates for each kind of person who might ask, and a checklist of what to attach.
Disclosure: I’m Inna Hall, co-founder of TimeBinder, the file timestamping tool this guide mentions. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Table of Contents
This page is the short version. For the background, see what to do when an author is accused of using AI, what to do if you’re falsely accused of using AI in your art and why working drafts carry more weight than detector scores.
Before you reply: three rules
- Wait an hour. A calm reply written later reads better than a fast one.
- Reply to the person who can decide. That’s your editor, client, the contest organiser or the platform’s appeal form, not every commenter.
- Describe, don’t argue. Say what you did and what you’re attaching. Let the records speak.
A short template to reply to an AI accusation
Edit the parts in brackets. Keep it under 150 words.
To a publisher or editor
Thanks for raising this with me directly. I wrote [title] myself. I’ve attached [three] dated working drafts from [month] to [month] and my notes from [stage]. [Two of these files were timestamped. The certificates show those exact files existed no later than the recorded time on each.] I’m happy to talk you through how the book developed, or to share more files if that would help.
To a client
Thanks for letting me know. I made [the logo / the illustrations / the track] myself. Attached are [the early sketches, the layered working file and the version history] for this job. [The sketches were timestamped on (date), and the certificate shows that exact file existed no later than then.] If anything in the brief needs a different record, tell me and I’ll send it.
To a contest or prize organiser
Thank you for checking. My entry, [title], is my own work. Following your entry rules, I’ve attached [the drafts / process images / session file] that show how it developed between [date] and [date]. I’m happy to answer any questions from the judges.
To a platform moderator (appeal form)
I made this [post / image / track] myself. My process files are attached: [list]. [The earliest file was timestamped on (date).] Please let me know if you need anything else to review the decision.
To a commenter or reader
Often the calmest reply is none. If you do reply, keep it to one line, and point to one public statement rather than arguing in threads: “I made this myself, and I’ve shared my process here: [link].”
Checklist: what to attach
Attach a small, clear set. Send copies, never your only originals.
| Attach | What it shows | What it doesn’t show |
|---|---|---|
| Two or three dated drafts or versions | How the work changed over time | Who typed or drew each change |
| A layered or session file (PSD, Procreate, DAW project) | Layers, stems or edits that built the work | That no tool was used anywhere |
| A timelapse or process clip | The work being made, step by step | Anything outside the recording |
| Notes, sketches, research or messages | Your thinking and the timeline around the work | That the final file came from them |
| A TimeBind certificate for a key file | That exact file existed no later than the recorded time | Who made it, whether AI was used, or that it’s original |
Don’t attach: detector scores (yours or theirs), long arguments, private files that belong to other people, or anything you’d mind being forwarded.
Keep for yourself: the original files, unchanged. A timestamp only matches the exact file it was made from, so keep each timestamped file just as it was. That way your files still match their fingerprint when someone checks them. Our draft history guide shows a simple way to keep dated drafts as you go, and the free file date and metadata inspector shows what a file’s own dates say (and why those dates are easy to change).
Where a timestamp fits
A timestamp is one line in your reply, not the whole reply. It’s most useful for records you made before anyone asked, because it fixes the date those files existed. A TimeBind records the SHA-256 fingerprint of your file in Bitcoin. Files are hashed in your browser and never uploaded, and you get a Proof of Time Certificate, a PDF with a QR code and the Bitcoin transaction ID. You can make the certificate public or restrict it to email addresses you choose. Checking is free.
- Pooled (1 Token): Your fingerprint is grouped with other users’ in one shared Bitcoin entry, usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity. It’s checked through TimeBinder.
- ASAP (3 Tokens): It gets its own Bitcoin transaction, broadcast straight away, although that doesn’t mean instant confirmation. It can be checked independently, without relying on TimeBinder.
The Pooled vs ASAP explainer covers the difference, and how it works explains fingerprints and certificates. If you’re in the middle of a dispute, a timestamp made today only shows the file existed today. That’s still worth doing for your current drafts, so that next time your records are already dated.
What a TimeBind does NOT do
- It doesn’t show who made the work.
- It doesn’t show whether AI was used, or that the work is original.
- It doesn’t show the contents are true or accurate.
- A Pooled TimeBind can’t be checked without TimeBinder.
- It can’t say how a publisher, client, contest, platform, court or anyone else will judge it.
This is general information, not legal advice. If an accusation affects a contract, payment or your reputation, speak to a lawyer in your country.
When TimeBinder isn’t the right tool
- The question is whether AI was used. No timestamp answers that. Your process files and your own account do the work.
- You have no earlier files. A timestamp made now can’t date work from the past. Gather what you already have instead.
- You need to settle a contract or payment dispute. That’s your agreement, ideally with a lawyer’s help.
- The accusation is public harassment. Use the platform’s reporting tools and keep screenshots of what was said.
TimeBinder pricing
- Free: $0. 1 Token every month (1 Pooled TimeBind). No credit card required. The Free plan’s monthly Token doesn’t roll over.
- Essential: $20 a month for 5 Tokens (5 Pooled, or 1 ASAP + 2 Pooled). Unused Tokens roll over. Cancel any time.
- Expert: $50 a month for 15 Tokens (15 Pooled, 5 ASAP, or a mix).
- Extra Tokens: 1 for $5, 3 for $15 or 9 for $40. Tokens you buy never expire.
A paid plan replaces the Free plan’s monthly Token, so Essential gives you 5 Tokens a month in total, not 6.
Enterprise plans have custom Token limits and dedicated support. Service terms for every plan are set out in the TimeBinder Terms and Conditions. To match a plan to how often you save drafts, see which plan do I need.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Should I reply to an AI accusation at all?
Reply once to the person who can make a decision, such as an editor, client, organiser or platform. In comment threads, silence or one calm line is usually enough.
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Should I send a detector score that says my work is human?
No. Sending a score tends to start an argument about the tool rather than about your work. Send your process records instead.
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What if I didn’t timestamp anything?
Send what you have: dated drafts, layered files, notes and messages. Then start timestamping key drafts as you work, so your next records are dated from the start.
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Does a TimeBind show I made the work without AI?
No. It shows only that a file existed no later than the recorded time. It doesn’t show who made it or whether AI was used.
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Can the person I reply to check the certificate?
Yes. Each certificate has a QR code, and you can make it public or restrict it to email addresses you choose. Checking is free.
TimeBind your files
Keep your next draft dated from the start with a Pooled TimeBind: the Free plan includes 1 Token a month, and no credit card is required. See plans and pricing →
