Bravo Zanni, you hit AI theft fair and square. I am appalled at the far reaching damage already caused by grasping AI tentacles. It's beyond belief that anyone could think its rampant use is beneficial to society. Recently I was convenor for my local book club and the novel was classed as literary fiction with a psychological, almost fantasy, twist on how trauma impacts memory. One reader in the group submitted an AI generated explanation of the plot which appalled me. She was proud of herself for using it but did not realise that the AI had regurgitated the bones of the novel but none of the human subtext underneath, the very essence of the author's unique story. I might add that this particular book was published by an award winning international author and I was indignant on his behalf!
So true, Zanni, so true! I agree with the person (I'm afraid I can't remember who it was) that posted on social media this morning that, while generative AI may well be able to churn out stories and pictures, it will always be derivative, and that if it comes to the point where people no longer create because they can't afford to live on fresh air alone (if they can find any), we are in grave danger of missing the genius of the next Da Vinci, or Shakespeare, or [insert name of artist who changed the world] and forever being the poorer because of it. As he said, 'we still need our Gaudis'.
Hi Zannie - So I did a quick scan of this post when it first came in, and loved it. But now that I've actually been able to engage with it, I adore it. You have articulated SO many things I've been grappling with in my head. And you've done this in such intelligent, well-argued ways AND you even snuck in a few dragons and fairies! Brilliant!
I'm very much with you regarding the, "Just say a flatout NO to GenAI, across the board." Other kinds of AI though, I agree can be great tools. I just had to write up a bunch of interviews, so I used an AI transcription tool - yes, a fantastic help. But it added absolutely zero content other than what I would have been able to achieve by plodding through the typing / listening all by myself.
But GenAI - very different story. An additional angle: the discernment between what's fake and what's real. My husband sells jewellery. Real stuff from real brands with untreated stones yada yada. But if he's selling at a fair where people are also selling fakes, it drives him nuts - because people will complain that his pieces are so expensive compared to the 'other stuff'. Well, duh. There's a reason for that!
Cut to: recently, an acquaintance who I do not know as being a writer, posted a poem on Facebook. Because it was not credited, I then took this to be his own composition. Intrigued, I read it. It wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't great. However it was only in the comments that I saw him reveal he'd written it "With the help of GenAI, because he finds that process therapeutic." So I commented, "Why didn't you just say that up front? If I ever want to share someone else's work, I will always credit that author. But if I'm posting my own thoughts/words, there's no credit, because they're MINE. I have created them. Why are you misleading us into thinking this was a poem of yours, when you could have quite easily said up front: 'I wrote this with the assistance of AI'?" He got all bent out of shape and accused me of all kinds of things. Blah, blah, end of story.
I love the real world. I also love dragons and fairies because they're human fantasies that get created and revealed through works of fiction that get written by human minds and hands.
And at the end of the day, dragons know more than us anyway. They will always choose the real rubies and gold over the fake stuff. Just as they can also sniff out the real, creative stories, from the AI fake rubbish. Let's unleash the dragons on Generative AI!
Bravo Zanni, you hit AI theft fair and square. I am appalled at the far reaching damage already caused by grasping AI tentacles. It's beyond belief that anyone could think its rampant use is beneficial to society. Recently I was convenor for my local book club and the novel was classed as literary fiction with a psychological, almost fantasy, twist on how trauma impacts memory. One reader in the group submitted an AI generated explanation of the plot which appalled me. She was proud of herself for using it but did not realise that the AI had regurgitated the bones of the novel but none of the human subtext underneath, the very essence of the author's unique story. I might add that this particular book was published by an award winning international author and I was indignant on his behalf!
Fair enough Gretchen! I’m indignant too! Geez … even at a book club. Are there no sacred spaces left?
So true, Zanni, so true! I agree with the person (I'm afraid I can't remember who it was) that posted on social media this morning that, while generative AI may well be able to churn out stories and pictures, it will always be derivative, and that if it comes to the point where people no longer create because they can't afford to live on fresh air alone (if they can find any), we are in grave danger of missing the genius of the next Da Vinci, or Shakespeare, or [insert name of artist who changed the world] and forever being the poorer because of it. As he said, 'we still need our Gaudis'.
ps enjoy your romantasy!
Hi Zannie - So I did a quick scan of this post when it first came in, and loved it. But now that I've actually been able to engage with it, I adore it. You have articulated SO many things I've been grappling with in my head. And you've done this in such intelligent, well-argued ways AND you even snuck in a few dragons and fairies! Brilliant!
I'm very much with you regarding the, "Just say a flatout NO to GenAI, across the board." Other kinds of AI though, I agree can be great tools. I just had to write up a bunch of interviews, so I used an AI transcription tool - yes, a fantastic help. But it added absolutely zero content other than what I would have been able to achieve by plodding through the typing / listening all by myself.
But GenAI - very different story. An additional angle: the discernment between what's fake and what's real. My husband sells jewellery. Real stuff from real brands with untreated stones yada yada. But if he's selling at a fair where people are also selling fakes, it drives him nuts - because people will complain that his pieces are so expensive compared to the 'other stuff'. Well, duh. There's a reason for that!
Cut to: recently, an acquaintance who I do not know as being a writer, posted a poem on Facebook. Because it was not credited, I then took this to be his own composition. Intrigued, I read it. It wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't great. However it was only in the comments that I saw him reveal he'd written it "With the help of GenAI, because he finds that process therapeutic." So I commented, "Why didn't you just say that up front? If I ever want to share someone else's work, I will always credit that author. But if I'm posting my own thoughts/words, there's no credit, because they're MINE. I have created them. Why are you misleading us into thinking this was a poem of yours, when you could have quite easily said up front: 'I wrote this with the assistance of AI'?" He got all bent out of shape and accused me of all kinds of things. Blah, blah, end of story.
I love the real world. I also love dragons and fairies because they're human fantasies that get created and revealed through works of fiction that get written by human minds and hands.
And at the end of the day, dragons know more than us anyway. They will always choose the real rubies and gold over the fake stuff. Just as they can also sniff out the real, creative stories, from the AI fake rubbish. Let's unleash the dragons on Generative AI!