AI Is Taking Over The World For Writers

News Flash: This newfound AI (artificial intelligence) is taking over the world, and especially for us writers.

For those out there who don't quite know what this AI is, let me explain this to you. AI, in its simplest form, is a robot that will give you anything you ask it to. If you need a recipe for pancakes that don't use diary? Done. Need it to help you plan a trip to Iceland for a week? It'll make your whole itenerary. If you need it to give you help on writing an email to your boss or maybe even a whole essay? It can do that too (though I never condone using AI for school assignments).

Everyone and their dogs have been talking about this new website called Chat GBT. And I'm sure most of you are familiar with the name. One day I was curious and wanted to try this out for myself. See what all the hype was about.

And oh boy, let's just say I understand the hype completely. This new website makes things all so easy. Too easy, if you ask me.

While working on my next poetry book, I had a craving to start writing an actual novel again. Because with being so focused on my poetry books these past few years (Keep Me Sane and my new one in the works), I have forgotten what it is like to write a novel with a full plot. But then I ran into the infamous writers block. And let me tell you, it is the worst feeling in the world when you know that you want to write but you can't figure out what to write. It's like you're stuck and can't go forward. So in attempts to get rid of this writers block, I went onto this new website and it asked me for a prompt. I gave it something to go off of and before I new it, it was generating different ideas to get out of writers block for me. I decided to test it's boundaries and see whether it would be able to write a full scene that would appear in a book. And it did. Without an issue may I add too.

To say I was shocked was an understatement. This AI is too easy to use, and even risks the fact that us writers are almost deemed (dare I say) useless. Because here comes in this robot that can write anything you ask it to at the split of a second. Why would you need writers if a machine can do it just as good or faster?

But then here comes my debate.

Yeah, maybe a robot can come up with something quick and effectively. But it doesn't have the human touch. It doesn't have the human connection and the rawness of the true story that a person can share. In my humble opinion, there is a lack of connectability to all of the raw emotions when it comes to this new AI.

After trying multiple times seeing of different ways this AI can create different pieces of writing, that is what I noticed. That it tends to have similar format and it just doesn't really pull on my heart strings.

Let me try and experiment to show you something. If I was to write a poem based on the prompt, "abusive relationships", let me show you what I mean.

My Poem - "But. . . "

He didn’t hit her,

but he always tried to change her appearance

because she was never good enough for him.

He didn’t hit her,

but he said she looked like a boy

with short hair.

He didn’t hit her,

but she obeyed everything he requested

because she was terrified of his anger.

He didn’t hit her,

but he left her to do everything all alone.

But kept her attached by a thread so she didn’t go far.

He didn’t hit her,

but she always said “I love you” first

because he just never said it.

He didn’t hit her,

but he made everything her fault.

So she’d apologize for things she shouldn’t have to.

He didn’t hit her,

But she couldn’t tell if it would

hurt less if he would have swung instead.

AI's poem - "Shattered Reflections"

In shadows deep, where silence weaves,

A tale untold, of bruised reprieves.

The heart once full, now echoes pain,

In the broken chords of a twisted refrain.

A dance ensnares, a toxic waltz,

Where love conceals its face with false exalts.

In whispered lies, the soul is bound,

To a symphony of tears, without a sound.

Behind closed doors, the tempest roars,

A cyclone of torment, unseen, ignored.

Bruises paint a canvas, a silent scream,

A fractured reality, a fractured dream.

Yet, within the storm, a spirit fights,

To reclaim the day, to reclaim the nights.

The petals may wilt, but the roots run deep,

A survivor rises, from the ashes, to leap.

No more captive to the tyrant's hand,

Breaking free from the desolate land.

A phoenix soaring, scars and all,

The echo of courage, the rise, the fall.

For love should be a gentle shore,

Not a tempest that leaves the spirit sore.

In healing's light, the truth unfolds,

A story rewritten, a strength that holds.

Now looking back at both poems, which one do you prefer? Mine or the AI's poem?

When I read the AI's poem for the first time, I saw it as a very classical piece. In the sense that it rhymes and definitely has a lot of structure. It is something that your English teacher would likely praise you on. But one thing that sets mine apart from the AI's is the relatability and the emotion. The rawness that draws someone in. Ironically enough, when I was in my highschool Enlgish class, I was the absolute worst at writing poems. And I never understood why because writing stories was something I enjoyed doing. English class altogether was my favourite class. Whenever I write any of my poems, I don't have the classic structure. The reason I did so poorly with my poems in my English classes in high school or university was because I was ripped from my creativity. I had to be kept in a box. And my creativity always goes outside the box.

If you were to buy my book, "Keep Me Sane" and read my poems, they don't often rhyme and every single one is written deep from my heart. Free form is how I tend to write my poems. Because everything I write in it is true in my life, not structured. I connect to my own writing by making it as personal as possible, espeically in my poems. I don't really have much complex or fluffy words that distract from the main point I'm trying to get across. I am direct yet relateble. And I am sure that is why people adore my pieces just as much, if not more, than I do.

That is another thing that makes me believe that us poets, writers and authors will never not have a job. Because AI can't do what we do. A silly robot in my computer can't evoke such strong emotion that is relatable to other humans. Us writers know how to evoke those emotions and know how to connect with our readers. AI can be creative to a degree, but we explore different relhms in our writing. Creating new worlds, languages, characters, animals, and universes. And that our creativity is what sets us apart from this new robot that society is falling in love with.

AI makes our writers job easier. This artificial technology limits your creativity. You stop thinking for yourself and start writing based on something that is served to you on a silver platter. Wheres the creativity in that?

Nothing beats the unison of the old fashioned author and pen, connecting and becoming one for the reader to enjoy.

S. Cowan