Is it time for me to embrace AI?
I am a writer and, as well as the regulation thousand words that any writer must complete, I have been writing a daily blog about the green Space where I live in Bournemouth for the last 12 years. Yesterday I was offered the chance to save a great deal of time by having my Blog written by an AI app. I quite like the idea of relaxing on the West Cliff Green listening to the smnolent buzz of the jet skis in the bay rather than churning out the required mountain of words all the time. Let’s give it a go.
“The West Cliff Green in Bournemouth is a beautiful public park that attracts visitors from all over. The park is situated on top of the cliffs overlooking the stunning blue waters of the English Channel, offering breathtaking views of the coastline. The wide expanse of green grass is perfect for picnics, relaxing in the sun, or playing a game of frisbee. Numerous benches are scattered throughout the park, allowing visitors to sit and enjoy the tranquil surroundings. The West Cliff Green is also home to a variety of sculptures and displays, adding a touch of art to the park. It's the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy the natural beauty of Bournemouth.”
Not bad, but misses the point of what I have been doing to describe the many different facets of life here, good and bad. It is awfully bland. What’s more, I have a feeling that some of these words have actually been copied from my blogs. Even worse, the sentence about scuptures is just plain wrong. There are no sculptures here. Sorry.
Let’s not forget that Artificial Intelligence is a misnomer. There is no Intelligence involved. It is merely an advanced form of Machine Learning which has been round for many years. Here are my Top Four Reasons why AI is not to be feared:
1) Volition
How many times do I wake up early in the morning with a particularly delicious thought haunting my brain? Such that I have to get up and start writing or, at least, jot down the idea in a notebook I keep on the dresser. An AI app can only begin work when it is turned on and given its task. However good it is at writing well crafted sentences, it cannot decide to do that on a whim. It could be programmed to turn itself on at three o’clock in the morning but what it writes is not the product of inspiration.
2) Meaning
If I write about, say, a bank of flowers on the West Cliff, it is because they have some meaning to me. Sadly, my AI chum has never experienced the joy of such a sight, witnessed the subtle shades of colour in the early morning, smelt their delicious odour. AI cannot refer to the bank of emotions that I have about such a sight. It cannot conjour up long forgotten conversations. People I used to know. The words I use to describe this sight are dependant on the whole context of the scene. Sometimes the sight makes me cry.
3) Signature
When I have written about something, it has become nearly as dear to me as my children or my close friend. I love the words dearly and I am glad to sign my name to what I have written. Even if I follow Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch’s and Murder my Darlings, in the end what I have brought into existence can never be erased.
4) Language codes
My AI can obey my direction in an language code from formal to casual. Which is jolly clever. But I almost always never follow one particular language code. I dodge about, putting slang words into official documents, and official sounding words in casual posts. I deliberately break sentences in the wrong place, mix the grammar up a bit. The code I choose is called My Style. Why should I want anything to write in my style? It has taken me seventy years to refine it and get it just where I like it.
So, do I need to worry that AI will eventually replace my work as a writer? Well, no. Because whatever AI does or does not do. I will still be churning out my words of wisdom for a few years yet. Whether you choose to read them, of course, is entirely up to you.
