Background Music: Charles Mingus - Ecclusiasties
Author Joyce Maynard voices her concerns about the effect of AI on creative writing in a Facebook post. This subject has become an ongoing discussion in the past year with the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot technology that can process our natural human language and generate a response. Many people believe AI-generated writing could lead to a loss of creativity and originality in literature.
Maynard has additional concerns: “A search revealed yesterday that seven of my books have been scanned—illegally, without procuring rights—into an AI database for the purpose of creating AI simulations of my voice…There will be those who offer up all kinds of reasons why AI can be a good thing for us all. Have at it. In the world of art and music and literature, it can mean only one thing: The eradication of what is uniquely human in each of us. The death of what is most precious and beautiful, the soul and spirit with which we were born. That is irreplaceable.”
I asked the two most popular AI Chatbots, Open AI’s Chat GPT and Google’s Bard, if her concerns are justified. Their responses are similar, but Bard voices more concerns.
ChatGPT: “Your concerns are deeply rooted in the value you place on the authenticity, effort, and soul behind the creation of art, particularly in writing. The fear that technology, especially AI, might dilute or replace the human touch in artistic endeavors is not new, and it's a sentiment shared by many artists, writers, and creators across various fields.
Here are some points to consider:
1. **Authenticity and Originality**: One of the core values of art is its authenticity. When a piece of writing or any artwork is created by a human, it carries with it the emotions, experiences, and perspectives of the creator. AI, no matter how advanced, lacks these human experiences and emotions. While it can mimic styles and structures, it cannot genuinely replicate the depth of human emotion and thought.
2. **The Role of Tools**: Throughout history, artists and writers have used tools to aid their creative process. From the printing press to digital art software, these tools have been embraced and integrated into the creative process. AI can be seen as another tool. It's how it's used that matters. If used as a crutch to bypass the effort and soul that goes into creating, it can indeed be detrimental. However, if used as a tool to enhance or aid the creative process, it can be beneficial.
3. **Legal and Ethical Concerns**: The unauthorized scanning of books and using them to train AI models raises significant legal and ethical concerns. Intellectual property rights, copyright infringements, and the potential misuse of someone's unique voice and style without their consent are all valid concerns. It's reassuring to know that organizations like the Authors' Guild are taking steps to address these issues.
4. **The Value of Effort**: The journey of creating, the hours spent refining every word, and the emotional investment that goes into writing are invaluable. This effort is often evident in the final product, and readers can sense the authenticity. While AI can produce content, it lacks the journey and the emotional depth behind it.
5. **Potential Benefits**: While there are valid concerns, there are also potential benefits to AI in the world of writing. For instance, AI can help writers with writer's block, provide grammar checks, or even suggest stylistic improvements. It's all about how it's used.
6. **Preserving the Human Touch**: While AI can mimic styles, it cannot replace the unique human touch. There will always be a demand for genuine, authentic art created by humans. The soul, spirit, and essence of human-created art are irreplaceable.
In conclusion, while the advancements in AI bring about new challenges and concerns, it's essential to remember that technology is a tool. How it's used, its impact on art, and the value we place on human-created content will shape the future of art and literature. Your concerns are valid, and it's crucial for creators, readers, and society at large to engage in these discussions to ensure that the essence of art remains preserved.”
DAVID PLUNKERT / THE NEW YORK TIMES
Bard: “The concerns expressed in the passage are justified. AI-generated writing has the potential to displace human writers, and it could also lead to the erosion of creativity and originality in literature.
Here are some of the specific concerns that are raised in the passage:
AI-generated writing could lead to the loss of jobs for human writers. If AI can generate text that is indistinguishable from human-written text, then there will be less demand for human writers.
AI-generated writing could lead to a decline in the quality of literature. If AI is used to generate mass-produced content, then it is likely that the quality of that content will be lower than the quality of literature that is written by human authors who have spent years honing their skills.
AI-generated writing could lead to a loss of creativity and originality in literature. If AI is used to generate text that is based on existing patterns, then it is likely that the AI-generated text will be unoriginal and repetitive.
It is important to note that AI-generated writing is still in its early stages of development. It is not yet clear how widespread AI-generated writing will become, or how much of an impact it will have on the publishing industry. However, the concerns raised in the passage are valid, and they should be taken seriously.
In addition to the concerns raised in the passage, there are other potential risks associated with AI-generated writing. For example, AI could be used to generate fake news or propaganda. AI could also be used to create hate speech or other harmful content.
It is important to develop ethical guidelines for the use of AI-generated writing. These guidelines should ensure that AI-generated writing is used responsibly and ethically.”
I utilize AI for writing purposes and it significantly boosts my efficiency. It's also enjoyable.
Transitioning from the analog to the digital realm meant that digital items, such as books, films, music, and images, could be duplicated with ease. However, the challenges of copyright and ownership in this era of abundant content are still unresolved.
For many musicians, especially those in the jazz genre, they often don't receive compensation when their original compositions and recordings are streamed, duplicated, or sampled. YouTube has emerged as the dominant platform for digital music. It heavily depends on its user base for content creation. From its early days, enthusiasts have uploaded their favorite tracks to the platform. Initially, record labels, during their prime, raised objections. Their legal teams were kept busy. However, YouTube, grappling with continuous copyright challenges, decided it was more feasible to pay the music publishers from the generated revenue. Yet, there's always a catch. The remuneration provided to both the corporations and YouTube content creators can be seen as grossly inadequate, bordering on exploitative.
1500 views on YouTube and you make a dollar. On my YouTube channel, I have a similar monthly arrangement:
I’ve had people use my video content with no compensation or acknowledgement since I started posting on YouTube in 2006. One saxophone company didn’t want to pay to produce a marketing video but when the artist funded the video, the company downloaded it from YouTube, took off my credit, put their own graphics on the beginning and end of the video, and uploaded it to their YouTube channel, and I got bupkis.
So what the fuck are we going to do about this? With so many other life and death issues facing us, is this really a priority? I believe the survival of creative people is essential to our civilization. But I’m old school, I have to acknowledge that ease of use matters a lot more today than actual people.
And speaking of technology’s gift of empowerment, can we really do anything about this? Highly unlikely.
Welcome to the digital playing field of today, and the near future. We just have to live with it. Technology has saved lives, and destroyed them, as well. Just like humankind.
Thanks for reading.