Will Writers Write?

Will writers even bother to write if competing with a large number of AI generated stories? That is a question that only time will answer. There have been incidents where many AI generated books have made it to best seller lists. Scammers also may use AI to generate reworded versions of actual books. They can think of anything to make a quick buck out of the sweat of real authors by using AI to alter their work. Although Amazon has made a few efforts to alleviate the problem, it continues, and as of now AI generated content must be disclosed when submitted, something that helps but does not solve much.

Artificial Intelligence is becoming better and soon it will be just a matter of time when we could hardly be able to tell the difference between written works by real authors and a piece of junk from Robotina. People who care more about making a quick buck than about the craft are able to generate a story, from cover to content, and illustrations in a matter of minutes, especially children’s books. AI saturated market is the worst nightmare for true writers who love their craft and who bleed through the pages of a novel until it is finished.

How will readers find your work when they have to navigate a system which is so saturated by fakes? Will they even care or will they voraciously consume AI generated content as long as it is good enough to fill an entertaining need or any other specific need? If we have people dating AI generated people, what prevents readers to make a switch to AI generated books? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain, authors are now competing with a new form of “art,” one that has eliminated the middleman aka real author and goes straight to making a product for profit in no time at all. Will authors become discouraged? Will real writing even matter anymore? Will AI mimic our blood and sweat in the pages? Will writers write? Only time will tell.

Faster and faster, we are being replaced by our own creation, maybe to the point of becoming obsolete by our own hand. The creator ceases to exist, absorbed by its own creation. Maybe time is all we have left, or do we? Will AI alter our perception of time, eventually? Will we be able to tell?

Victory, Our Community Celebrates

This Independence Day celebration will certainly be sweeter for the residents of our little town, Chatham, VA, and also our neighbors throughout Pittsylvania County. Our hearts rejoice as one as we realized that as a community, we have defeated a proposed power plant and data center of enormous proportions. I am sharing this article found on SELC (Southern Environmental Law Center) which highlights our fight and victory as a community, and also their valuable research about the great environmental and health damage that such proposal would have caused, not only to our community but to extended areas, as far as North Carolina. You can find the article here .

As AI continues to grow and develop, the need for data centers will increase, and small rural communities will be targeted. It is up to the residents of these communities to weigh the pros and cons of these proposed projects, and the benefits, if any, and make their voices heard, whether they welcome this industry with open arms or not. It is important for leaders of a community to listen to the residents and place these issues on a balance, for a just and satisfactory resolution.

I hope you enjoy reading the SELC’s article referred above.

On AI

Photo by Maria Diaz

This post is about my feelings on AI (artificial intelligence) and the future of writing and publishing. First, I should disclose that I am biased, and also old-school. I am more like the character Will Smith plays in I-Robot. Of course, when new inventions have been introduced in the history of humankind, there has been distrust, inquisition, questions, trepidation, and so much more. Much has been said about AI, especially, during the past year, and by now most of you must be familiar with some applications in technology, including writing. My concern is with the future of writing and the quality of content, as well as the increase on an already saturated market full of the good, the bad, and the ugly. Must all be doom and gloom? Of course not. The same was said about print on demand and independent publishing, and here we are today. Saturation? Yes. I am sure that there are many benefits to AI, probably across and extended to all endeavors. Going back to the topic of quality and quantity, AI will be a best friend to those who want to make a quick buck while saturating the writing market with stories/content written at a fast pace and without care or soul.

That being said, so many questions arise, at least on my mind.

Will the publishing giants favor their own mass-produced stories?

Will freelance writers compete with AI on speed and delivery or will they embrace it?

Will they be paid less for their originality? What are the parameters for originality when it comes down to AI? Is it possible for AI to commit plagiarism?

Will readers appreciate a book written in what will become the “classical way” or will they become consumers of fast stories that might cater to their need for “more and quickly, please.”

Will the quality of stories suffer, or will it challenge writers? Will readers even notice?

Will AI become a favorite tool of writers or an archenemy?

Will it help with writer’s block or make it worse?

Will writers who care for quality and not quantity feel threatened by AI?

Will human writing even exist in the future or will “Robotina” kill the writer?

Of course, it is too early to tell, and I don’t have a crystal ball on my desk. As for this old-school writer, I believe that words evoke feelings, and that might or might not matter in a not-so-distant future.