Artificial intelligence (AI) is already very much a part of our lives and will no doubt continue to take root, particularly in the literary arts.
This blog post lists the advantages of AI for those of us who are literary writers.
What is AI?
Simply put, AI can be defined as “the ability of a machine to display human-like capabilities such as reasoning, learning, planning and creativity.”Note 1
In the literary field, AI is unable to think and act exactly like a human who’s able to practise their art freely and produce original work, because AI always draws on pre-existing material. However, it can be a valuable “assistant,” providing humans with complementary tools to complete their literary work.
Writing with the help of AI is like diving into distant oceans and coming up with your own fish. Besides, since when do writers write alone? The good news is that today, writers can take advantage of AI by using tools such as writing platforms.
Here are eight advantages of AI-enabled platforms:
They allow today’s authors to:
- work in a writing environment designed especially for them that facilitates their writing, nurtures their creativity and helps them polish their texts
- access an array of useful features for every aspect of their writing project (planning, research, drafting, revision, character creation, etc.)
- find the right words more easily (thanks to an integrated thesaurus, they can find synonyms for allegories, alliteration, antonyms, rhymes, etc. and improve their style)
- detect clichés and inconsistencies in their text, using a writing assistant
- create illustrations, using an image generator (image generators can create beautiful, highly realistic images, on demand, according to the chosen style, although there may at times be some odd features in the images)
- automatically produce summaries and chapter titles based on their content (this is a real time-saver)
- get suggested rewordings (this makes it easier to rewrite content)
- detect inconsistencies in characters
Do authors have the right to use texts and visuals created with smart features? Yes, as there’s currently no legal framework regulating the use of AI-generated visuals.
In other words, it would be unrealistic to claim exclusive rights to the visuals being generated at this time. This means that if two people use the same keywords and, from these words, obtain the same visual, both people will be able to use it without any issues. However, it’s best that writers create AI-generated visuals for personal use only. When it comes to book illustrations and covers, it’s best to leave it to the people whose job it is to create original illustrations (and avoid the embarrassing situations that some publishers have already experienced).
Why should we be interested in AI?
We should be interested in AI because it can transform our writing practices and help us achieve greater efficiency. In fact, AI can save us time by performing repetitive, time-consuming tasks. AI creates opportunities that are nothing short of exhilarating, provided the user is well informed.
In addition to being a writing “assistant,” AI also inspires creative practices that push the boundaries. For example, artist-in-residence Samuel Corbeil mounted an improvised play on Twitter (now “X”). The play featured three conversational robots, each programmed to have its own personality.Note 2
In conclusion, anyone involved in the literary arts in the 2020s should not underestimate the power of AI, which can be both a muse and an assistant.
