Creatives, Embrace GenAI, Don’t Ignore It
Impacts on the Writing Industry Today and Tomorrow
In Bobby McFerrin’s words, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” The song has been racing around in my brain for the last few days. This time, it has nothing to do with GenAI; it’s more about personal life things, which I obviously won’t get into. As I sat down to write this week’s post, I thought it might be a good place to start, as it applies equally well to the anxieties many feel towards Generative AI these days. So, don’t worry and read on.
This is the last article in my series on the impacts Generative AI is having and will have on creative writing. We briefly covered Authorship, Authenticity, Transparency, and Plagiarism in previous weeks. These and today’s discussions are targeted as a starting point. Necessarily, they have been short and to the point, but the reality is that every aspect I talked about is only the tip of the iceberg.
I refuse to become depressed or worried; instead, I always try to be optimistic about the future of creativity. I’ve not given many links (if any) in these posts, as the GenAI landscape is changing so quickly that any link is often out of date before the week is out.
So, instead, I want to encourage you, the creative, to keep as up-to-date as possible about AI. Lean into the technology and learn ways to leverage it to your benefit. Whatever you do, don’t ignore it and hope it will go away. It’s here to stay. To paraphrase another cliche, there’s no point in trying to put the genie back in the bottle.
State of Play
Let’s face it: technological advances have always impacted the industry. Think about the introduction of typewriters, word processors, and personal computers. Shouldn’t we consider AI just another advance that makes our creative lives easier and more productive? Yes and no.
Yes, it has helped us enormously with everything from generating outline ideas to a list of engaging titles, brainstorming, and so much more. When we think in those terms, GenAI seems like a godsend. It helps me focus my thoughts on a chosen subject of my latest narrative. But this is thinking only for the creative process itself.
What do you think? Have you or are you using AI, ethically, of course, to help you with your writing process? Let me know in the comments. Right now, I feel as though I’m yelling into the wind. It’s so important to hear other points of view. Maybe (probably) I’m missing something.
On the negative side, it’s also enabled profiteers to quickly generate thousands of extremely poor books and flood Amazon to make a fast buck or two. In the last week or so, Amazon has attempted to stem this inundation by limiting the number of uploads per account to just three a day—a half-hearted response, in my opinion. Fortunately for us creatives, unfortunately for Amazon, this mass production of AI-generated content seems limited to ebooks. It hasn’t yet impacted other formats and platforms anywhere near as badly, if at all.
Regarding the actual writing, assistance from AI has been welcome but has not replaced the human touch. Great writing, even good writing, is distinguishable by the human life experience, our insights, and emotions. AI can only go so far but can’t reliably write a piece that resonates with the reader. These are the things that AI isn’t any good at (not yet, anyway).
I’ve always been open about using AI in writing, and this post is no different. For example, I asked ChatGPT to write a 600-word piece on the subject, and a few seconds later, it was done. But did I use any of it? Not at all. It did help, though, and this is why it will continue to be part of my process: It gave me nuances that could be expanded on. All of which I had already noted, but they were presented in a more logical narrative flow.
The positive aspects of AI outweigh the negatives so far. Another area where GenAI excels is the generation of marketing content. Everything from blurbs to book trailers, social media posts, and advertising is reaping the rewards of Generative AI models trained on massive amounts of data. The AI knows what has worked in the past and will likely work again.
Then, there’s the editing side of the creative process. Everything from tools such as Grammarly to more extensive editing software, such as ProWritingAid, they are deeply dependent on AI technology. As good as they are, they cannot compete with an experienced human editor. For example, they cannot absorb an entire narrative and pick out plot holes. So, as creatives grow more productive, there is an even greater need for a human editor to polish, fact-check, and ensure the flow of the narrative works.
The (Near) Future
Ironically, I asked Perplexity.ai what it thought would be the near future impacts on the creative writing industry. Here is my simple prompt if you want to try it for yourselves. I advise you to do so as it’s a great place to start, if nothing else:
What would you say will be the near future impacts on the creative writing industry? Everything from the act of writing, editing, and marketing to the effects on both the Traditional Publishers and the Independents (or Self-published)
Interestingly, the eight sources it produced ranged from over a year old to the most recent, written four months ago. So, hopelessly out-of-date already. This illustrates the problem nicely with predicting the future of AI advances. Things change so fast that even an AI has difficulty keeping up.
The only thing we can be sure of is that the industry will experience even more significant changes, affecting the writing process, the publishing landscape, marketing and distribution, and everything in between.
Are you worried? Worse, does AI scare you? I’d like to know. I’ve been working with technology for over forty-five years, so perhaps I’m just used to embracing change.
Final Thoughts
GenAI will continue to change the industry, but it’s very unlikely to replace human creativity entirely. I think the future will likely involve a more collaborative approach, where AI enhances our creativity rather than replaces it.
Any writer who adapts to these challenging technological times and uses all available tools to augment their skills will be well-positioned to thrive in the industry. Writers who choose to ignore this do so at their peril. We are smack in the middle of a technological revolution. It is better to embrace it before you are left playing catch-up. We can and should use AI to help us create more diverse, engaging, and original content. We must use the tools available and simultaneously double down on being human.
The lesson I hope you learn from this and my recent newsletters is that GenAI is nothing to be afraid of. It’s just one more tool in our toolbox that we can use to our advantage. So relax, take a deep breath, and jump in at the deep end. After only ten hours of playing with AI, I’m sure you will feel a lot more confident about the future of your creative ambitions.