Go ahead and create, no technology is stopping anyone from doing that. But I don't see why you can't create while using a technology like ChatGPT. Coming up with the proper prompts, rewriting some of its output, using its output as an input, etc. There's a lot of things you can do to combine your own novel thoughts with the text generated by a machine. That's a way to create things that has never really been possible.
Imagine being an OK writer and now you potentially have an editor. Imagine asking it to come up with a few ideas regarding something you're working on and you can use one as inspiration. There's just unlimited ways people will work with and integrate these new tools that you or I can't even possibly dream up.
As for asking if we need more bedtime stories - why not? Maybe it would be cool if me and my kid could use some experience we had together to create a story that features him and his friends in the mold of a classic story.
> Go ahead and create, no technology is stopping anyone from doing that
Yeah, but where did I say that? That's not my point at all.
Here are my thoughts, rephrased:
- We, mankind, don't need AI to "improve" writing. This is a problem nobody has. There's a plethora of writing, both for children and for adults.
- People enjoy writing, so this isn't an activity we want to "optimize". There's no need for ChatGPT here.
- When computers take over creating everything, what is left for us humans? If/when books are being written and published by AI, sure you can go on writing for your mom & friends I guess, but something fundamental will be lost.
- When most "content" (I hate that word) is created like this, some sort of extreme Netflixization of movies and books taken to its logical consequence, we will become consumers. Isn't that depressing?
> As for asking if we need more bedtime stories - why not? Maybe it would be cool if me and my kid could use some experience we had together [...]
I do this every night with my daughter, without AI. It's called "parenting". You don't need gadgets or computers for this. ChatGPT isn't solving an actual problem in this case either.
"Computer, tell my kid a funny story about that time something fun happened to us; I think it was yesterday, it's in my mobile logs anyway."
Why is it not parenting to create a story with an AI with your kid? Why is what you are doing better?
How do you know something is lost when using an AI to assist in writing? Could it be that something will be gained? Perhaps it will unleash creativity in people that wouldn’t have written before? Maybe the greatest literary work ever created will be built by someone using an AI. Or maybe we’ll see the limits emerge and this won’t be another John Henry story.
Your argument very much sounds like the argument of the Luddite’s. But here’s the thing - you can always check out of it. The Amish certainly have thrived while not participating in very much of what we call “advancements”. I think that’s a better approach than Ted Kaczynsky’s.
Imagine being an OK writer and now you potentially have an editor. Imagine asking it to come up with a few ideas regarding something you're working on and you can use one as inspiration. There's just unlimited ways people will work with and integrate these new tools that you or I can't even possibly dream up.
As for asking if we need more bedtime stories - why not? Maybe it would be cool if me and my kid could use some experience we had together to create a story that features him and his friends in the mold of a classic story.