Happy Friday and happy first weekend in June! This year is flying by in one big blur.
As I thought about what I wanted to talk about this week, I ran across a blog post that I think might be of interest to a lot of you. It came into my inbox through Writer’s Digest, and I found it interesting.
Artificial Intelligence has been a hot topic lately, as more and more of our daily lives are taken over by it. There’s been a lot of talk about AI replacing authors and they’ve had some limited success with AI-created books. But can it really replicate our unique humanness?
I thought this author expressed it perfectly in this blog post.
“AI cannot feel or sense. AI cannot be swept away or pulled in close. It cannot put up a fight, battle tooth and nail, rise like a phoenix and survive to tell the story.
AI cannot sit in awe at its divinity one day and disappointment at its deeply flawed humanity the next, and it cannot write about the fathoms in between. It cannot confront pain and bitterness nor lock eyes with rapture and love. It cannot grapple with itself or search for its better angels. And it cannot carve and reshape itself with words as it goes.”
Remember in the movie WALL-E, how he fell in love with Eve?
That’s only in the movies. AI is not capable of emotion, at least not yet. Emotions are fluid and changing, and no computer program can replicate that so far. Who knows where it will all go, but I don’t feel threatened by AI taking over the art of creating stories that change and move me. And I have little to no interest in reading a book created by AI.
I am currently reading a book, Answering The Call by Parris Afton Bond, that is making me question my daily existence. Have you ever read a book like that? I’d love to hear about it and what aspect of the story made you question your life. We are a collective consciousness, and we all have things to learn from each other. That is one reason I enjoy writer’s conferences so much. The workshops are great, but often I learn as much or more over a cup of coffee with other authors.
That being said, as the date of the Ireland Writer’s Conference gets closer, I am feeling a bit of excitement start to build that I haven’t felt in a very long time. Will it be life-altering? I don’t know, but I’m willing to find out.
I really enjoyed the music festival last weekend. It was truly more like a big family gathering than a festival, and the music is my favorite kind, featuring the songwriters. It’s all about the lyrics, the message, and honest communication with a melody added. Sadly, I don’t have any pictures to share. Most of the time, I didn’t even have my phone with me. It was pretty much a total disconnect. It fed my soul.
With school out, my daily routine during the week is changed as I will be spending more time looking after my two granddaughters. So, if I fail to make it around to your beautiful blogs, know that I’m with you in my heart and will try to make as many as I can while I still squeeze in a little time for working on my WIP.
That’s it for me today. I look forward to your comments.
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AI-writing has been a hot topic lately! The hubster and I were discussing it last night. Both of us agreed that if we knew a book was written by AI, we wouldn’t be interested in reading it. I like the idea that the author drew on things that happened to him/her in real life and caused enough emotion to write about it. The hubster likes the idea of discovering the author’s true feelings about a subject by figuring out the tone of the book (serious, sarcastic, caustic, etc.).
Thanks for leaving a comment, Vera! I agree with you and your hubby. Interesting thoughts.
I am not thrilled about A.I. and appreciate your thoughts on it. Just no, there is no way a robot is going to tell a story with heart. <3
I couldn’t agree more, Debby!
<3
I wish I could remember the books (more than one) but I’ve found some a bit like what you mentioned. Best wishes on your conference. Ireland is a wonderful, green place with interesting people and a great history of writers.
Thank you, John, for stopping by and leaving a comment.
Checked those books that were seriously disturbing–the first a bestseller: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. The second is Ame and the Tangy Energetic by Katya Mills–a Google+ friend. (I miss Google+
I like the point that AI doesn’t have the emotional insights us humans have. When I was working on my poetry book this week an odd thing happened, a program popped up claiming it was a free trial. It told me it created a blog post for me. It used several of my poems that oddly and unnervingly made sense. I quickly deleted it though, now wishing I had looked into it more. My first thought was I will decide if I want my poems made into a blog post! But perhaps I should thank it for the idea… lol
So excited for you for your upcoming trip! Enjoy those grandkids too. Xo
I would have had the same reaction, Denise. When they say ‘free trial’ it always means forking over money at some point. And why pay to have a blog post of your poems, when you can already do that whenever you choose. It might have been interesting to explore, but I’d have done the same as you. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment. Have a great weekend!
Having dabbled in AI, I can tell you that there still is a long road to truly great writing. AI seems to be good at pulling together research from a number of sources, but to write beautiful prose without plagiarism is beyond its ability right now. Glad you have a fun songwriter’s get-together.
Very true, John. Even though they’ve made great progress with AI, it still can’t produce original emotive writing. Thanks for chiming in!
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Great article, Jan! Personally, AI terrifies me. The control it has over so many people, so much of society. I can’t help but miss the days of simplicity and not even a cell phone to distract you.
I’m so behind on both social media and blogs, I didn’t realize you were attending the Ireland Conference. How exciting for you?! I envision it being life changing for sure. I can’t wait to hear all about it!
Enjoy all those moments with those babies. <3 I'm not a fan of the heat that Alabama Summers bring, but I do enjoy the extra time we have with our little. And getting to take the boat out is a nice bonus.
I agree with you, Mar, that AI can be terrifying. It does have control over the mass population. I too miss the simpler days and slower times. I don’t think we’ll ever see them again. Thank you for the good wishes! Enjoy your summer fun and visit when you can. Hugs!
Hi Jan, I can’t see how AI could ever have emotions and I can’t really see why they would be programmed that way. Emotions take humans to the greatest heights possible but they are also responsible for the very worse things that happen on this planet. Enjoy your grandchildren, they grow so quickly.
I don’t see how AI could ever have emotions programmed into them either, Robbie. Emotions are fluid and changing, and as you say, can take us greatest heights or lowest lows. Thank you for chiming in! Have a great weekend.
You too ❤️
Jan, my main concern is how quickly it can copy a book, plagiarizing what others have written. It can copy 17,000 words in five minutes, an entire story in fifteen. And how will the author ever know? Also, what about school and students who use it to do their homework? This is far-reaching and can change the landscape of this country. It needs some kind of control and limitations or we’ll never be able to trust anything. Much love, Sister.
You bring up a great point, sister. We would never know if our work was copied by AI. Yvette mentioned AI making students lazy, and that, too, is another great point. It is far-reaching, and I think it will change the landscape not only of this country but the world. Hopefully, at some point, there will be parameters set to control it. We’ll have to wait and see. Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment today! Love you!
AI “knows” just about everything, but it’s basically a plagiarism algorithm. It can’t think like you or me. Not thinking like me, might be a benefit 😉
Total disconnects are good for the soul. I hope you have a nice weekend, Jan.
Lol, Dan. You are so right. AI can only replicate what it’s programmed for, and it will never have a brain or emotions like we do. Thank you for visiting and I wish you a great weekend as well!
I have mixed feelings about AI. It’s making students lazier, which will ultimately affect their ability to think critically for themselves and to build a good work ethic. But I also feel that, if used correctly, it can be a great learning tool. I have seen plenty of movies where AI becomes so advanced that we can’t control it. I’ve read articles on how AI can now replicate people’s voices and create images that don’t exist, and I worry what that will mean for our political landscape and our ability to ever trust what we see and hear in the future. All that said, I cannot change any of it, so I let it go and focus on my day-to-day life. Have fun with your grandchildren, Jan! I’m sure they are looking forward to their time with you. 🙂
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Yvette, that’s my concern also. It’s going to change in ways that we can’t even fathom right now. And in the hands of unscrupulous people…it’s scary.
Thank you for your insightful comment, Yvette. It seems the goal of all this is to eradicate human emotions and create a sterile world. That doesn’t appeal to me in any way. I hadn’t thought about AI affecting our already corrupt political climate, but that’s a distinct possibility. I also agree that if used correctly, AI is a great tool. And your final thought echoes my sentiment exactly. I will not waste time worrying about something I have no control over. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Yes, AI is the current topic going around the world, including the publishing industry. Curious how some authors are using this new AI, but I’m thinking, “Where’s the emotion?”
I’m excited for your upcoming trip to Ireland, Jan. For me, it changed my path and as you know, I left a part of my soul in Ireland–land of mists and magic.
Enjoy your weekend! 🙂 xoxo
I think the main takeaway from the AI topic is that it cannot replicate human emotions. It may be able to write a pristine story, but it’s one I’d have no interest in reading. As the Ireland departure date grows closer, I am getting more excited about visiting. I have a feeling it will somehow be life-altering for me as well. My ancestral roots are embedded there. Cannot wait!! Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment, Mary! I wish you a great weekend as well!
I’m starting to get a little weary of all the obsession with AI. It’s popping up everywhere. I have my own feelings about it, and people who use AI to write a story, songs, or create art, are not artists or writers. They’re lazy and want the easy way out.
I don’t dwell on it or let it worry me. I do like the article you referenced. A robot has no feelings or emotions.
I agree, Joan. The topic of AI is a hot one right now, and I’m not going to dwell on it. There are many things in life we cannot change, and that is one of them. I’ll stick to things I have some control over to give my energy to. Thanks for stopping by and chiming in. Have a good weekend!
In most of the sci-fi movies and books featuring AI, it usually turns out to be a bad situation with AI trying to take over the world (with the exception of Lisa the robot girl). Haven’t the AI proponents seen or read these movies and books, lol? I’m with you, Jan – I have no urge to read a book created by AI.
That is so true, Teri. They almost always make AI the bad guy, with the exception of WALL-E. 🙂 And since Lisa is the creation of C.S. Boyack, I think we can bet on her being one of the good guys. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.
I’m more worried about AI killing us than replacing us, but the topic freaks me out, so I try not to dwell on it.
So glad the festival soothed you. Looking forward to hearing about your trip to Ireland. Enjoy the kiddos this summer!
I think you have the right worry, Staci. The odds of that are greater than replacing us as writers. I agree with you, though. No need to worry about anything we can’t change. That was my mom’s philosophy, and I try to stick with that. Thanks for visiting. Have a great weekend!
A good take on AI. I’m not going to waste any time worrying about Ai taking over creative efforts. I read Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. (Klara is an AF – artificial friend) It is very good and a great bit of human writing.
Interesting, Darlene. I am with you in not wasting time worrying about AI taking over our creative efforts. I’m going to keep doing what I do. Thanks for visiting!
I’m so excited about your trip to Ireland, Jan. I can’t wait to hear all about it! Enjoy your time with the grandkids. xo
I’m definitely getting more excited as the date grows closer, Jill. It will be an experience of a lifetime! Thanks for visiting!
Jan, enjoyed your blog and the quoted article. AI-created stories are a form of plagiarism, it seems to me, but writing about AI and AI-created characters and stories opens up a whole new world to explore. Sounds like you’ve been busy and have an exciting trip coming up! Enjoy!
That’s very true, Maura Beth. C.S. Boyack has Lisa the Robot Girl in his stories, and she adds another dimension to his stories. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment today. Have a good weekend!
Enjoy your time with the grandkids! Thanks for sharing the fabulous article n AI. I love the writer’s thoughts and approach. Have a wonderful weekend, Jan. hugs ???
I will, Harmony, although sometimes I want to pop them on the butts when they act up. 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed the AI post. Have a good weekend!
I don’t think Lisa the robot girl will ever turn evil or take over. It’s because I choose to write her that way. We can make decisions that no artificial intelligence can. She may be a form of AI, but I choose to keep her as a heroine. We may get a lot more competition from this new tech, but it can’t completely replace us.
I think you’re absolutely right, Craig. I don’t think AI will ever completely replace us. They may be able to perform mundane tasks and put lots of folks out of work, but I don’t think they’ll ever replace the human touch. Guess we’ll have to see how it all unfolds. Thanks for visiting.