There has been a great deal of talk about the idea of artificial intelligence becoming so much more advance these days, that it may be able to create and weave stories all on its own without really having any real need for authors or artists or models or photographers, etc, at all. And I will admit, I’ve seen some passages ‘written’ by computers that have been fed enough information and influences that it can look pretty convincing to anyone who isn’t experienced with reading in general. But am I even remotely worried about being replaced by an AI program? No. Hehehe, not even close. The idea is simply unthinkable.

Now, if a computer program was enlisted to write other programs, build an engine, create a website, or solve mathematical problems...maybe. Feed it enough info and give it some intuitive freedom, I’m sure that it could come up with a variety of amazing projects that most people would have never thought of before. I could see that happening in my lifetime. But that’s drawing from a whole other different part of the brain. Our most ‘computer similar’ part of the brain. However, I truly feel the complete opposite way when it comes to creativity. Please feel free to chime in with any thoughts of your own on this when you get a chance? I mean...can an AI really make a convincing recreation of a sincere human expression? Even if it’s not for like another twenty or thirty years from now...I just can’t see it. Something would just be missing, in my opinion.

See...the thing about a genuine expression of emotion is that it has to actually come from somewhere. A feeling, a memory, a regret, a mistake...I don’t think a creative endeavor can exist without mistakes and still feel honest. There’s a wisdom, a personal perspective, a variety of flaws in logic and rationality, that creates a human connection. It’s not something that can just be reproduced at random, or guided in a certain direction by someone who hasn’t shared that experience, at least in part. That’s the whole separation of mechanics and magic. Which one do you guys go looking for when reading a new story?

I worked at a music store for many years in the Chicago area, and it was a place that actually specialized in music. So we carried cassettes, CDs, vinyl, out of print stuff, box sets, hard to find and local artists, and the like. We even had a bunch of established artists come in to sign autographs and promoter their new albums. We would get free concert tickets, get invited to record release parties...it was soooo much fun! Hehehe! And it was a place for a lot of party promoters and Djs to grab their newest stuff. But one of the things that I remember hearing a lot from them was that vinyl sounded WAY better than CDs ever could. And that was because CDs were made to separate all of the sounds, make them sound crisp and clean and super pristine for high definition players...but vinyl (while thought to be an inferior method of recording music at that time) blended everything together the way it was meant to be heard. The whole song was unified by the connection of voices and instruments...and the super perfection of CDs and now MP3s sort of takes away from that experience. It sounds great, sure...and I’m sure there are a lot of people who have never heard music any other way...but there’s a huge difference between hearing a song from The Beatles on CD or MP3 and hearing it on vinyl. There really is.

The point is...the attempt to perfect something digitally can create a loss of heart and soul. And heart and soul is what ‘art’ is all about, isn’t it?

Hehehe, now this is for humor’s sake...but not long ago, this was an example of what an AI movie would look like and how it would read! Obviously, things have evolved by leaps and bounds since then...but this is how it started. ::Giggles::

Now...even considering the fact that there would be a much smoother and intuitive program behind putting a story together these days and even more so in the future...can you really see this becoming a normal way to find, construct, and enjoy, stories? Like...hehehe, really?

I’m really intrigued enough to see where this new technology goes and figure out how it works, but it really doesn’t seem like something that would be able to give me those warm fuzzies, or those emotional shivers, that I usually get from a well written piece of work. Or even just the personal perspective of a writer who might be able to grab me in a way that no one else ever has before. There’s a certain connection that I feel deeply from a life lived that an artificial source just can’t quite duplicate. And even it does for me or for a few people...it wouldn’t be able to reach out and touch everybody in the same way. That core bonding ‘x-factor’ would be awkwardly absent. The one thing that bonds us all together. The spontaneity isn’t there. And God forbid if it had to cross over from culture to culture, language to language. Hehehe, have you ever read the text from a poorly translated video game or foreign film? It’s like...what the hell?

It’s advances like this that really make me, personally, appreciate the human element in everything that we do as authors and creators of incredibly heartfelt fiction. You know? It almost makes me appreciate my own efforts even more than I usually do. Because you just can’t replace struggle and pain with something that can be mass produced with the press of a button. This is the kind of tech that you can look at, or maybe even try out for yourselves, and realize just how precious and unique your talents really are. But I encourage everyone to experience and check out this new AI invention for themselves, if for no other reason than to get a grasp on what it simply can’t do that you can generate almost on instinct alone. It gives you confidence. Like...look at how EASY it is for you to create something beautiful, meaningful, and that connects to people in an immeasurable way, without even trying. Programs can’t ‘fake’ that. And I don’t think they’ll ever be able to.

Even if they come close...then I feel bad for the generation that thinks that’s going to be good enough. They’d seriously be missing out.

So….you may be wondering, what’s the difference? Right? There are a whole lot of people who can take the whole ‘words on a screen’ approach and translate that into a feeling of genuine emotion and depth that will leave them happy and satisfied once they’re done reading. There’s no reason for it not to. And it’ll be edited and properly worded in ways that never stumble and never waver from correct grammar and punctuation. So why not? What is it about the flawed human element that we’re expecting people to miss once it’s no longer a part of the equation?

To me...it’s the most important part of the equation.

I want you guys to watch this video. I think Jennifer Hudson is a PHENOMENAL talent! Her voice is so priceless, and she deserves to be one of the greatest female vocalists of our time. But this is her and another outstanding male vocalist backstage, I think at an awards show, completely improvising their vocals without practice. Without rehearsal. It’s a remake of an old Ray Charles song, and you can tell that Jennifer Hudson sort of knows the melody, but not the lyrics. She’s literally reading them off of a computer screen off to the side as she’s figuring out how to sync herself up with the song, and they’re both just going back and forth...not knowing where they’re even going next. It’s amazing to just see them both ‘feel out’ the song in real time and still be able to harmonize and come together with a spontaneous vibe when most people can’t even plan for a duet this perfect!

I can’t even fathom being able to do something like that with my voice. With my writing? Sure...but never my voice. Hehehe! But some people can do it with a keyboard solo, or a guitar riff, or a martial arts display, or with an acting soliloquy, or with writing a computer program made to imitate all of these things. Hehehe! That’s the difference. That’s the heart that goes unnoticed when you take an artistic passion and try to manufacture it without the core bonding and experience that gave birth to that particular expression. That inner gut feeling that only another person with a similar journey can connect to. It’s not just words on a screen. It’s a life lived, lessons learned, and scars healed. These things matter. If you think that you can truly write a story without this point being evident to you as a creator of fine fiction, then I think you might be missing the point. Or, at the very least...still too afraid to step closer to that line and see where the next few steps can take you. Either way, you can only go as far as your ‘programming’. And since we’re all basically programming ourselves every moment of the day...then all of our triumphs and our limitations are up to us.

This is something to focus on when you’re writing. Nobody...and I mean nobody...can write this story but you. Not even close. If you’re attempting to create some form of entertainment on an artificial level, then you’re going to find yourselves with an artificial fanbase. Dig deeper. Become the story. Allow your humanity to flow through it with every word, and embrace your spontaneous feelings and unexpected instincts. Enjoy the beauty of your imperfections, and make them your strengths when you’re writing. It’s all about connection. Get your audience to embrace you, and embrace them back with quality work that you can truly be proud of. Cool?

Alright, I think I’ve said all that I had to say on this topic! Hehehe! I don’t want to bore you all too much if I can help! But, seriously...these are all things to think about when you commit to writing your stories. I really think that the biggest step towards being a great writer is creating a true passion for writing. And then finding a true understanding for that passion. Vocabulary and word mechanics won’t be enough. It’s enough to get by on...kinda like living off of ramen noodles and frozen hot dogs, hehehe! Been there, done that. But if you’re shooting for the stars...find ways to cultivate that passion within you. That yearning that is constantly telling you that you have a story to tell.

Do that...and no AI will ever be able to copy and paste the kid of talent that you’re bringing to the table. Not ever. Own your craft, and take pride in knowing that it’s all yours...and yours alone.

Stay beautiful, you guys! And I’ll seezya soon! Let me know your thoughts down below!