Doesn’t that phrase sound ridiculous? Yet today that very idea is one of the sticking points of two massive strikes that have ground the entertainment industry to a halt. As an author and also a proud member of the Producer’s Guild of America, the fight against Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a topic close to my heart. Do I believe robots will imminently commandeer every electric car or computer on Earth and overthrow the human race? Not really. But is there cause for concern about the technological path humans are on?
Absolutely.
We live in the era of space tourism, flying cars and video chat. All of which, as late as 1990’s sounded like the stuff of Sci-Fi myths. While technology is wonderful for its ability to make our daily life easier with advances such as global communication, life-lengthening medical innovations, drought tolerant crops and more, there are limits to what AI should be allowed to do.
To be clear, I am focusing solely on the entertainment industry for this post. I’m not a politician or a doctor, so I won’t get into what AI could and should do as far as changing the face of politics or medical care. But since I worked in entertainment for over fifteen years and I am currently a working author, I definitely have an opinion on AI in Hollywood.
According to IBM’s website, AI “leverages computers and machines to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind.”*
There are two main types of AI:
- Weak AI (also known as ANI – Artificial Narrow Intelligence) – is trained and focused to perform specific tasks and is much of the AI that we experience on a daily basis.”* Alexa, Siri, your smart phone…they are all using systems that are designed to learn or improve their performance based on the data they consume.”* Google Maps remembers the routes you often take, Amazon remembers what you’ve previously searched and Siri, that sneaky minx, shows you pop up ads based on conversations she overhears. None of these applications are doing more than following their program which is designed to make your life easier the more you use them. A little a bit creepy at times, but largely harmless.
- Strong AI which can be broken down further into Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI)* AGI is “ a theoretical form of AI where a machine would have an intelligence equaled to humans; it would have a self-aware consciousness that has the ability to solve problems, learn, and plan for the future. Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) would surpass the intelligence and ability of the human brain. While strong AI is still entirely theoretical with no practical examples in use today, that doesn’t mean AI researchers aren’t also exploring its development.”* H.A.L. from the movie 2001 is the best example of ASI.
*Information Courtesy of the IBM Website, July 28, 2023
The striking writers and actors are not only fighting for better wages, insurance and working conditions. They are also fighting for the right to protect their writing, their voices and images from being fed into AI to be recycled into future movies, music or television shows.
Is Hollywood at the point where it can generate cheaper content by feeding previously written scripts into a computer which will regurgitate fresh content?
Yes.
But should it? Don’t the words, thoughts and ideas of those scripts, belong to the writer that created them originally? How do you compensate for something like that? This is the slippery slope the writers are trying to scale. As a producer, I understand the drive to put out the best possible product while trying to meet or beat your budget by finding ways to do things quicker or cheaper. It’s difficult position to be in.
But this is a bridge too far. Not compensating writers for their scripts that you might use as a basis to create new material with which you hope to make millions? It cannot be allowed to happen.
The same goes with actors. Contractual and monetary negotiations aside, no actor should see their face or hear their voice in a role in which they consent to perform. Yet AI makes that a possibility.
No one should be allowed to use an image, voice or work of writing unless the creator is properly compensated.
Frankenstein-creativity aside, I know lots of authors who have dabbled in programs like Jasper, Rytr, Sudo, Grammarly…the list of AI novel writing options is surprisingly long. These programs promise everything from creative story templates, character and plot ideas, descriptive word and grammar assistance, even beta reading!
But do you what to know what these programs don’t offer? Heart, experience, human emotions like elation, grief, boredom or fury. These robots can follow a digital roadmap installed by their manufacturer, string words together and spit out a plausible story. But much like the instrumental muzak piped into my dentist’s office, AI generated writing doesn’t have soul.
The brilliant thing about writing is that you can give one hundred authors the same topic and you will receive one hundred unique results. Novels, fiction, non-fiction, magical-realism, poetry, songs, graphic novels or short stories…each product layered with the authors own experiences, philosophies, neurosis, passion and heart.
I get that AI writing programs are great tool for people who do not like or feel comfortable writing. It’s a quick way to knock out a report for work, find the best thing to write in a condolence card or a helpful tool when you need to polish an important business email. But taking the easy way out will only guarantee that you will never improve your writing skills. Your brain and creativity are a muscle you have to use and challenge frequently. In my opinion, typing a few key words into a program which in turn spits out a novel doesn’t make you a writer. It makes you a user.
My books might be stressful to write and excruciating to edit, but at the end of the day there is nothing more satisfying then knowing that I created something unique that readers can connect with. AI might spell better than I do and it definitely has better grammar, but no one tells a story exactly like me.
If you want to have a good time, have some drinks and ask ChatBot some random questions. It’s good for a few laughs. But it’s not good for writing a heartfelt novel.
Support human writers. Tell your friends what about the books you read and leave reviews on Amazon, BookBub and Goodreads to encourage other readers to consider indie authors. Don’t let the soulless robots win.
Happy Tuesday 🚫🤖✍️