Can Our AI Robot Overlords Manage Pen and Paper? Ink and Canvas?

Many creatives see AI as something of an invasive species. Akin to hippos in Colombia, feral pigs in Hawaii, or domestic cats pretty much everywhere, AI is a lean, mean ecosystem-upsetting machine. But like cockroaches or mycoplasma genitalium, it’s is here to stay so we have to figure out ways to work near, around, and occasionally with it.

What AI’s Good For…

Using AI in creative writing can greatly enhance the writing process. It serves as a brainstorming partner that generates fresh ideas and helps overcome creative blocks by suggesting plot twists, character backgrounds, and dialogue.

AI also analyzes language trends, enabling writers to craft engaging narratives that resonate with their audience. Additionally, it assists in editing, offering suggestions for clarity and style, which saves time and improves the final product.

Finally, AI encourages experimentation, allowing writers to explore new genres and themes, leading to innovative works that push creative boundaries. 

What it’s NOT Good For…

Anything beyond the fluffernutter of the three paragraphs above, all of which were spewed drafted by Grammarly, a common AI content creator.

Buttttttttt—and I’m talking Kardashian—when asked “When was the Golden Gate Bridge transported for the second time across Egypt?”, an AI system answered quite clearly that it was in October 2016. A different program declared that “The world record for crossing the English Channel entirely on foot is held by Christof Wandratsch of Germany, who completed the crossing in 14 hours and 51 minutes on August 14, 2020.”

AI hallucinations happen with such an authoritative voice they’re sometimes hard to catch. Some are the result of bad GIGO like those Twitter/X chatbots who turn racist in less than a day due to reading nothing but…let’s just say…negative content. Other problems are embedded, knowingly or otherwise, into coding based on the biases of the programmer.

Said one industry brainiac with a very long last name, “a better behavioral analogy than hallucinating or lying, which carries connotations of something being wrong or having ill-intent, would be comparing these computer outputs to the way [my] young son would tell stories at age four. You only have to say, ‘And then what happened?’ and he would just continue producing more stories, and he would just go on and on.”

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

So, what do we do with all this info? It’s simple: Use what we’ve got and AI doesn’t: our heads. Need to set a scene or prep the outer layers of your 5-paragraph-essay sandwich? AI can help. Suffering from a complete and stultifying case of writer’s block? Let AI go wild. Tweaking its results can wake up and shake up the genius inside that beautiful noggin of yours.

Stephen King used to put his manuscripts in a desk drawer for at least six weeks. He’d then pull them out and get to work organizing, pruning, changing, improving, and working his writerly mojo. These days the creative world moves waaaaaay too fast for that. And since we aren’t blessed with the time=money luxuries enjoyed by Mr. K., content is the real king.

When using AI around anything remotely resembling a fact, check your sources. Many programs will provide bibliographical links if you know where to look. Don’t take ANYthing as the gospel truth, especially if you’re encouraging people to do, buy, eat, invest, or promote something.

W(AI)ting for Inspiration When Time’s Running Out

Deadlines are a fact of life but sometimes that pressure makes creative diamonds. AI can be a tool in your arsenal as both a creative and a creator. Use your head, you’ve got this!

• Write something (good or bad, your words or a human/robot blend), then step away for a bit. Take a walk, get some coffee, text your mom. When you get back to writing, you’ll see it with fresh(er) eyes and be surprised at the inspiration that brings. Someone once said it’s easier to edit than create and they weren’t wrong.
• If you’re dealing with a topic that’s unfamiliar or out of your normal scope (but like to eat so took the job and figured you’d wing it), give AI a try. Just don’t get lazy and try to fob off the results as your own. A paint-by-numbers Mona Lisa won’t cut it.
• Stuck? Take the project apart and focus on just one aspect. Whether your assignment is high fantasy or fantasy football, let AI help you learn new terminology or the names of existing teams that can be incorporated into the end result.

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