The decline in journalistic integrity is by no means a recent development. Timeliness has long since overtaken quality when it comes to news reporting, and artificial intelligence is only widening that gap. Journalists are unfortunately fighting an uphill battle against an entity that can instantaneously access all information available online, but how fares the war against those of us creating original content? Here’s my opinion on whether AI can replace fiction writers.
Books are Safe from the Looming Takeover
Simply put, I don’t believe AI will ever be able to write a truly great book. At best, artificial intelligence will eventually be able to determine what makes a good story and construct plots to evoke various stimuli, but similar to the beginning of this sentence, it will all be formulaic. Great novels are born not just from creativity but subtext and nuance. AI can already turn a good idea into a novel, but the story it churns out will be lacking character. The stakes will seem lower, the themes more fragile, and the relationships staler. The psychological impact of an AI-driven plot would be practically nonexistent. Though subtle, underlying and distinct concepts are what will prevent AI from replacing fiction authors. Never underestimate the value of fine-drawn, complex emotion.
Editors Beware
The group I feel most at risk are editors. Editors are going to have to evolve to come out on top. Hollywood executives can insert the changes they want to a script into a box, and artificial intelligence will implement these edits instantaneously. I believe baseline editors will have to transition into copy editors. I’ve been wrong about many things in my life, and this could be yet another drop in the bucket, but copy writers of fiction materials bring imagination to the table, a trait that can’t be matched by AI. Copy writers propose creative alterations to manuscripts and the like, which adds depth to the story through a true understanding of the underlying theme.
What Can Be Done?
Although you may not think it, you have a textured style of writing, a uniqueness that sets your delivery apart from other writers. Currently—and I don't think things will change drastically for some time—AI has very transparent prose. Its wording is direct with no room for interpretation. So what can be done to combat AI? Nothing but to keep writing and honing your voice. An algorithm trained on popular books doesn’t understand what moves readers or instills a sense of wonder. Being human, you do.
Of course, it’s still too early to answer this question in any absolute terms, but unless we reach the dreaded singularity, imagination and nuance are our best weapons against AI. Even if artificial intelligence ever gets to an undetectable degree, the market will be so flooded with cookie-cutter fiction that readers will actively go out of their way to support human authors. While I still doubt AI will replace fiction writers, it’s important to always be honing your craft, exercising your creativity, and stockpiling tinfoil.