A.I., A.I. Captain

A few weeks ago my visual artist friends began opening up about their feelings and personal experience with AI art. On one hand it does make sense for indie authors to try and save money by using AI art generation. One cannot use AI to edit their work of course. If you are footing the bill for covers, editing, marketing, gas, child care, that super fan who gets special access (sex), you can quickly find that being an independent author is cost prohibitive. Have to cut corners somewhere, right?

And we feel bad for our artist friends who just want to make a living (as we all do) and have their talent and hard work appreciated. As Dr. McCoy says in the Season 2 episode The Ultimate Computer, " We're all sorry for the other guy when he loses his job to a machine. When it comes to your job, that's different. And it always will be different." Well, to be honest though I think Dr. McCoy is correct, the idea of not paying my friends for their work and going behind their back lasted all of two seconds. How could I look them in the eye, ever, if I stole their livelihood?

But it quickly went from other people, to me. I learned from several sources that people are letting the AI generate whole novels and stories and selling them on Amazon (as well as other places I am sure). In addition, writing markets are being inundated by AI written stories. Suddenly I am Kirk, and the fucking M-5 unit just beat a couple of other starships in a surprise encounter. I am Captain Dunsel or Author Dunsel as the case may be.

I asked ChatGPT what it thought of AI replacing the writer of novels. It crowed a little but ultimately felt the human touch was needed. Do I think human billionaires would love to replace me? I do. And they will some day. Eventually AI work is going to be allowed to compete out in the open with human artists. When that happens I am not sure what we will do as a collective culture. At some point consumption will win out. Perhaps that is too cynical. Perhaps the need for authentic art will never die out. But these days are bringing some angst. I'll keep you posted.

~Ciao