Artificial Intelligence Could Be Future for Writers

My daughter was working on her computer. She came across artificial intelligence that is writing books for people. She told me about it and said to research it. AI is entering the world of books. Savvy writers should take advantage of it because it could be the future. Also, it could make writing books that much easier. Here is what I learned.

Text Sounds Human

In the past, machines would collate tweets and articles and compile into a semblance of a book. However, today, new machine-learning models trained on billions of words have given AI the ability to produce text that sounds human. They use human speech patterns and basic structures of grammar. They can generate sentences and paragraphs that are readable. They still don't create intentional meaning in the paragraphs. OpenAI GPT2 was released. It allows users to create specific styles, such as New Yorker or Georgic poetry.

More to Come

While, at the moment, it can't write a novel, the technology is improving. In another generation, AI could be churning out novels. Still, people are using the software to create projects. For example, one user created a book of poetry during a flight across the country. Users of the technology are experiencing problems that programmers still must fix. For example, the AI might be stealing lines directly from other works. The computers also tended to produce dull repetition. Programmers are sure to fix these problems in a few years.

Applications for Use

I can see potential in AI for writing. For people with disabilities, AI will help them overcome those disabilities. AI also could be used as therapy. People could use AI to record their thoughts that would ease their internal pain. These recordings would become a book without having to hire writers. It also would be good for busy professionals who want to create books for marketing but don't have the time or busy chefs who can have AI compile recipes into cookbooks while chefs work on their cooking and in their restaurants.

The downside to AI might be that writers won't be needed in a few years. I don't think that will happen. Machines will have difficulty developing characters that represent human emotions. Writers would have to read the books generated by AI to make sure they are accurate and OK for sales. But, think about how it could help writers. Thousands of years ago, people told stories with pictures on stone. Then, people used ink and quills on scrolls and parchment. Books had to be copied by hand. The printing press led to cheaper books in print and less copying by hand. Computers changed how they are written and how they are printed and marketed. AI is the next revolution in writing. Don't be afraid of it. Embrace it.