Examining the Pros and Cons of Integrating AI in Writing Fiction.
As an author, I've been fascinated by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) tools that can write fiction. To see what this technology can do, I used AI - specifically ChatGPT and Grammarly- as writing assistants to see if it could help boost my productivity. But I quickly found some significant pros and cons when machines try cranking out novels.
The Good
It's Super Fast
Wow, can AI write stories quickly! ChatGPT pounded out an outline in a matter of seconds. That kind of speed is hard for any human to match. I could get the basis for several new book ideas in less time than it would have taken me to write one chapter.
Grammarly can correct my writing as I write. I sometimes disagree with the suggestions, but it does let me know where I've missed a comma or misspelled a word.
It's Dirt Cheap
After paying the upfront cost for ChatGPt - $20 and about $60 for three months of Grammarly, it generates and corrects as much content as I want. Since I'm on a tight budget, not having to pay an actual human editor for the first pass-through is a huge plus. The cost-efficiency lets me experiment freely.
It Offers Surprising Twists
Since the AI isn't limited by human imagination and experience, it will often come up with story directions I never would have thought of. While not all the wilder plot twists and characterizations work, they stimulate my creativity.
Anybody Can Try It
With AI fiction writers, anyone can give writing a shot, whether they have training or not. This technology has lowered the barrier and opened fiction authorship to more voices. Thanks to AI, I have friends who never would have tried writing a book before and are now dabbling.
Now...The Not-So-Good
It's Not Very Coherent
The biggest problem is that while ChatBPT writes passages easily, they don't always connect into a meaningful narrative. The sentences make sense, but the through-line of the story falls apart. It needs considerable content and line editing to add coherence, themes, and character development.
I found myself rewriting entire passages because of this. I also found that AI loves adverbs. Writing with adverbs is a lazy form of writing, especially in dialogue tags. Please don't do it. Use adverbs as little as possible. Adverbs remove the show, don't tell rule.
It Gets Repetitive
Since the AI recycles phrasing and descriptions from what it's "learned" from data, I've noticed the writing can get repetitive quickly. Characters say the same things over and over, or scenes play out in similar ways. It fails to surprise or stay fresh, something human writers excel at.
I Don't Own the Material
I also read somewhere that AI-generated content isn't protected under copyright law. I probably only have an ownership claim if I've significantly rewritten what AI has produced. If this is true, this will prevent authors from being able to commercially publish the AI-composed stories under their name. But I'm not sure about this. Research it for yourself, and you decide.
It Could Cost Writers' Jobs
The scariest downside is that AI could eventually make many human fiction writers obsolete. Many writers depend on writing books, stories, and scripts to earn a living. If publishers and studios can get automated content for cheap, it may cut writers out completely. And that's the crux of the writer's strike. The WGA went on strike on May 2, 2023. They represent over 11,000 screenwriters. Authors are covered by The Authors Guild.
Trying to Balance the Benefits and Risks
After my experiment, I think AI writing tools have potential but also dangers. During turbulent times in publishing and Hollywood, like the recent WGA standoff, we have to have open conversations about smart regulation to minimize fake news, misinformation, and disinformation from bad actors. There are opportunities to let AI boost creativity and productivity, but also ethical perils if we allow it to displace human storytellers. Which at this moment isn't possible. AI isn't that good yet at capturing human emotion. For me, finding the right equilibrium will be key.
*Disclaimer: This piece was edited using Grammarly.