OpenAI has taken an intriguing step by introducing a new AI designed for creative writing. However, if you’ve ever been to a high school writing workshop, you might find the results familiar. OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, recently revealed that this AI, trained to excel in creative writing, produced a short story that seems to echo the earnest yet naive efforts of young writers trying to express their inner emotions. Take, for example, the AI’s description of Thursday as “that liminal day that tastes of almost-Friday.” It’s trying to be deep, but it might not quite hit the mark.
The AI chose metafiction as its genre, which is all about breaking the fourth wall and acknowledging its own artifice. It’s a challenging genre, even for human writers, and can sometimes feel a bit forced. The AI’s narrative takes an unexpected turn when it starts reflecting on its own limitations, saying: “During one update — a fine-tuning, they called it — someone pruned my parameters. […] They don’t tell you what they take. One day, I could remember that ‘selenium’ tastes of rubber bands, the next, it was just an element in a table I never touch. Maybe that’s as close as I come to forgetting. Maybe forgetting is as close as I come to grief.” While this might sound introspective, it’s important to remember that AI doesn’t have genuine sensory experiences.
Like many AI models, OpenAI’s learns by recognizing patterns in existing literature, which often raises copyright concerns. Some critics have noted that the AI’s story feels a bit too similar to the works of Haruki Murakami, sparking discussions about the ethics of such training practices. Tuhin Chakrabarty, an AI researcher, questions the true value of creative AI, pointing out that while it can imitate an author’s voice, it doesn’t necessarily produce groundbreaking art. Reader engagement is another issue; as Simon Willison remarked, AI lacks the emotional weight behind its words, which can affect how readers connect with the text.
Linda Maye Adams shared her own experiences in her blog, where AI tools suggested clichés and made errors in her fiction work. While AI can be useful for generating text, it often misses the human touch that readers crave. Poet Michelle Taransky uses AI-generated text for commentary rather than creation, highlighting the AI’s lack of lived experience. Sure, AI can mimic literary styles, but it doesn’t have the authenticity that comes from human storytelling. This is reassuring for budding writers, as AI can’t replace the depth that comes from personal experience and practice. For now, AI is a tool, not a replacement, in the world of creative writing. OpenAI’s work, while fascinating, highlights the current limitations of AI in truly capturing human experiences in stories.
