BY SIMONE J. SMITH
There is a movie called “Idiocracy,” that I was recently introduced to. It’s a satirical comedy that imagines the world 500 years from now, when humanity becomes so unintelligent that an average person from our time goes to the future and all of a sudden becomes the smartest person on earth.
With the explosion of AI, a movie like Idiocracy could become a reality, and one way I see it is when it comes to creative thought. The title of this article is drawing a comparison between the uniformity of certain aesthetic procedures like Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBLs) and the reliance on ChatGPT for communication and information. Just as BBLs can sometimes result in a homogenized appearance, there is a concern that dependence on ChatGPT is leading to a similar kind of uniformity in communication and thought.
Our parents, our grandparents, and our elders were able to navigate this world, and they did not have access to this technology, yet they were able to make it, and get us to this point in history. What about the next generation? How will this technological explosion affect their cognitive development and writing skills? Will they become so dependent on ChatGPT that they can’t write without it? Will it become so indispensable that we don’t know how to deal with its absence. With how things are reading, it is likely that this is already something inevitable. The replacement of human writers may not be far away, as AI continues to become more sophisticated.
We have been exposed to this technology as adults and have already gone through school. What if we had been exposed to it since childhood? Of course, our young writers are becoming dependent on it. Even more senior writers are making the mistake of copying and pasting ChatGPT without regarding the mishaps that come with technology; it has flaws.
I have read stories created entirely by AI. In fact, there are already some stories entirely made by ChatGPT available on Amazon. While they all read technically sound, their narratives lack vividness and leave the impression that something is missing.
What writers are not realizing is that when we receive a result from ChatGPT, we do not evaluate whether the intelligence relies on faulty sources when answering, or if it assumes a tone incompatible with the theme. Many writers ignore these facts, and create texts with inaccurate information, which can damage your reputation or generate poor text with repetitions and language errors.
Let’s lose the BBL writing and do the work Writers!
Like a hammer, if used effectively, ChatGPT is a powerful tool. It is the tool that is necessary to build your story, your script; it is as essential as a lexicon set was back in the days. Due to its speed of response, you can use it as a draft for your ideas and expand the text from there. Personally, I like to use it to generate outlines, which are good, but not perfect; I utilize my knowledge as a writer, and my voice to make it unique. I change the voice of the text, whether from informal to formal, and I make it more persuasive, or emotional depending on the story.
I also use it for feedback purposes. It criticizes your text constructively, pointing out which paragraphs need improvement. Simply ask, “give me some feedback and tell me how I can improve it.”
Writer’s block is quite common, and this is where AI is a lifesaver. ChatGPT can help you continue your story, or provide inspiration and suggestions for your text. As a source of inspiration, or as a source of ideas.
As writers, it’s vital to keep the creative fires burning bright. Challenge yourself continually, exploring new ideas, styles, and perspectives. While tools like AI can assist, never become reliant on them. Remember, they are only as flawless as the humans who crafted them.
Embrace the imperfections of your craft; they’re what make your writing uniquely yours. Keep pen to paper, fingers to keys, and let your creativity soar, unfettered by dependency on any machine.