2 Comments

I do agree that the process of writing is as rewarding as the outcome. The organization of thoughts, the choice of words, the self-editing, and re-editing. That personal reward can't be substituted by AI, yet. My first winter back in the northern hemisphere was depressing to me so I asked ChatGPT to write me a poem about winter earlier this week for some motivation. Each time I give it this question, I get a new poem. This latest one is not as good as the one earlier this week but still not bad for an automaton.

Winter's grip, so cold and stark

Lays a blanket on the park

Bare branches reach to touch the sky

Nature's beauty, there on high

Frozen ponds, a winter's sheen

Glass-like surface, so serene

A world of white, a winter scene

Nature's art, a dreamlike dream

Ice sculptures, grand and tall

Nature's sculptures, standing tall

A winter wonderland unfolds

A magic story yet untold

With each flake, a tale to share

A story written in the air

Winter's magic, all around

A peaceful hush, a tranquil sound.

Expand full comment

AQ, Thank you so much for taking the time to share this.

Yes, in some ways, this is extraordinary when you consider that AI has arranged these lines and patterns. In my opinion, this is not a great poem. It's full of cliche - hardly surprising, since pattern recognition or algorithm works on the basis of imitating or simulating... But as there is so much 'bad' and not very original writing out there, and we actually teach students in primary schools to write in this way, and we all to an extent learn by imitation, this is why I think some people are in a bit of a tizz about ChatGPT...

John Warner has written a really good article on this here, that I really think is worth a read...

https://biblioracle.substack.com/p/chatgpt-cant-kill-anything-worth?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share

For me process is always going to be much more important than end product.

Expand full comment