I ran across an article recently that gave me pause, and I want to share with you a few of the facts and points it made.
There has been a lot of talk lately about the increased use of Artificial Intelligence, not only in manufacturing and logistics but also in news reporting. But what is the possibility of creative writers being replaced by Artificial Intelligence?
It seems far-fetched, but in Japan, a novel was written by an AI writer, and it passed the first round of screening for the Hoshi Shinichi Literary Award in 2016. Impressive, indeed. Undoubtedly, it is a solid proof of what AI writers are capable of.
But can they ever replace the real and spontaneous human emotions? I think the quick answer to that is “No!” However, I can see where AI can be extremely helpful in aiding writers. Apps like Grammarly and ProWritingAid are basically programmed bots that can detect grammatical errors, typos, overused words and misused words. Some of these tools can even spot missing words. But, at the end of the day, they can only do what they are programmed to do. AI cannot dream nor imagine. They can gather and compile data.
I use a lot of southern dialect and slang words when I write, especially dialogue. And none of these writing aids can distinguish these words. They only see them as misspelled or incorrectly used words. So, from that standpoint, I don’t think AI can ever truly replace human writers. Of course, I suppose they could always be programmed to recognize slang from different locals, but it’s not likely.
Nevertheless, it is food for thought. Imagine that we had a bot that we could tell our stories to and they could then put in totally proper and correct form? Well, that might be helpful.
In conclusion, this article stated that while AI can never replace human emotion-driven writing, it can be a helpful tool to make us better writers. Okay. I guess I can go for that.
I use both Grammarly and ProWritingAid on a regular basis and they are both helpful in correcting punctuation and finding typos. But, they can’t find everything. So, for now, we humans are still needed to craft creative and entertaining stories!
What’s your take on AI?
I’ve spent 10 minutes trying to answer the question of what I think of AI. I’m clearly gong to have to think about it. 🙂
Thank you for your comment, Bette! I agree!
Plenty to ponder… I only hope that IA will ever be able to replicate the creativity and sensitivity of the human brain. That would make us obsolete.
This is fascinating, but I’m with you. The AI can be programmed to do a lot of impressive stuff, but it can’t feel or imagine, and that’s what makes good writing great. We were just discussing the mechanics of playing an instrument versus feeling it when you play, and I think the two are analogous. You can be taught to play the notes, but without feeling the music, your quality of music will be limited. Just as the AI can be taught to write a story, but without the emotion behind it, it will lack something.
At least, I hope so. Or we’re all in trouble!
Staci, I think you are absolutely spot on with your assessment. And I totally agree. Music or writing without feeling is flat and unmoving! Thanks so much for weighing in!
Dear Jan, *you* could never, ever be replaced. Hugs on the wing!
Yikes! I’m both awed and worried that a book written by an AI passed the first round of a writing competition! But I don’t they will ever replicate the innate creativity of human beings! My son is going to study computer science and AI at university but he is looking more at its medical application. An interesting post, Jan!
How interesting, Annika. Your son can provide an inside view into AI! I agree that AI won’t ever be able to replicate the spontaneity of human emotions. Thank you so much for your comment!
I don’t mind them helping us out but not taking over what we do. It’s something we do have to consider though as things are constantly changing. Great post Jan!
So true, Denise. Yes, I am all for AI helping me improve my punctuation and catching typos, but that’s about the extent of it. Thanks for stopping by!
The one area Grammarly fails is in a dialog situation. “Sentence fragment” is the warning. Yeah, sure you, olf. People speak in fragments. “No verb,” is another. Thanks, I’ll just hit ignore. Did you mean “hummer?” No, I meant humm. (unknown word) Well, you know how it goes. I think what would be useful is to have an AI read all my books and then only correct what is wrong not what is art. Good post, Jan
Good point, John. AI like Grammarly can only search for what it is programmed and often it does not include what I am writing. 🙂 Thanks for weighing in!
I think we rely on AI too much these days. It seems to be creeping into every day life more and more, often without our awareness. In many ways it makes me long for “the good old days.”
When it comes to writing, I think an AI can get all of the components, nuts and bolts, correct but the human element of emotion would be missing. I remember an old quote about writers: you sit down at a typewriter, open a vein and bleed. An AI will never be able to do that—thank heavens!!
Exactly, Mae. I totally agree. No matter how sophisticated these AI beings get, they won’t ever have the spontaneous human emotion that separates us from all other species! I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment today. AND, I have to say I LOVED your #1linewed on Twitter today! Wow!
I just found your tweet, Jan. Thanks for making my day! It’s a line from a collection of short stories I’m currently editing for late summer or early fall release. 🙂
I think this is fertile ground for fiction, and return to it regularly. I’m not so sure we can’t all be replaced eventually. Imagine all the data being tracked around the world. Every purchase, every street camera, in our cars even. Then the database interprets this and makes adjustments. Do this for fifty years and see what happens.
That is a mind-blowing thought, Craig! I agree that this is fertile ground for fiction, and has been for many years. I don’t think we can ever be replaced. Who the heck will program these bots if we aren’t around? Thanks for leaving a comment!
Eventually, they’ll do it themselves until they die of sadness because the humans are all gone and there is no new data to track. (That could be a story too.)
If you haven’t had the chance, watch the animated movie WALL.E https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0910970/
No joke, this 2008 movie seems to have alot of issues and predictions that we see today.
Good point, Mark! You are so right. I’ve seen WALL.E several times with my grandkids and a lot of what we see as commonplace today was only a prediction then. Thanks for chiming in!
Good morning Jan- well I truly think Al or some form of him will never replace the true person. They may be able to do various things really well, but they cannot replicate a true humans feelings or emotions. I loved your example of slang words, we Texans & southerners do have a special and Unique language.
Thanks for the interesting blog.
Love you Sweet Lady and I hope you’re enjoying the summer and special times with your grandchildren.
Good morning, Tonya. Thank you for weighing in. I completely agree with you about AI never replacing a true person. I hope I don’t live long enough to see humanity move into that kind of mundane predictability! We need to hold on to what makes us unique – our feelings and emotions! Yes, I’m having a great time with the grandkids! Hugs, and I love you!
What a thought-provoking post, Jan. We share so much of ourselves in our writing, offering up slices of remembered pain, joy, humor, tears and laughter with every line, and it’s these emotions that wrap themselves around each character we create. Whilst I’m grateful for the assistance offered by sites such as Grammarly, I hold on to the firm belief that human empathy is what unites us as a species. To think that AI can ever replace that frankly scares me. We need to hold on to our frail humanity.
You are so right, Soooz, and the words you used, “frail humanity,” says it all! And I totally agree. Thank you so much for chiming in! It’s great to have you back! The next time you go MIA, please ask your daughter to let us know. We care about you! Hugs!
Hugs right back, and thank you, my friend. I will give my daughter the email address to notify in the event that I’m too unwell to be present online. I often go into hospital for a couple of days, but if it looks to be an extended period of time I’ll ask her to let everyone know. Thank you for caring. ❤