A first crack at using AI-generated material

 By James M. Jackson

My first attempt at writing this blog hit a major stop when ChatGPT informed me they were not accepting new memberships at the time I tried to set up an account. Being resourceful (and under a deadline), I recalled that Microsoft Edge had a new AI feature, so tried that by asking:

What is the best way to use artificial intelligence to write a blog for lovers of mystery novels?

Bing’s Response:

Searching for: artificial intelligence blog mystery novels

Searching for: artificial intelligence blog mystery novels

Generating answers for you…

Generating answers for you…

There are different ways to use artificial intelligence to write a blog for lovers of mystery novels. Here are some possible options:

You can use an AI novel generator such as Reedsy¹ to create a unique book based on your preferences and then write a review or analysis of it on your blog. You can also share the generated novel with your readers and invite them to comment on it.

You can use an AI chatbot such as GPT-3 to write a mystery novel in collaboration with you or another human writer. You can then document the process and the outcome on your blog and compare it with other AI-written novels such as Death of an Author by Stephen Marche²³.

You can use an AI content curator to find and recommend the best mystery novels featuring artificial intelligence as a theme or a character. You can then write summaries, critiques or opinions on these novels on your blog and engage your readers in discussions. Some examples of such novels are A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers⁴, Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan⁵ and Motherless Children by M.T. Bass⁶.

Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/28/2023

(1) AI Novel Generator - Reedsy. https://blog.reedsy.com/novel-generator/.

(2) A.I. mystery novel Death of an Author, reviewed. - slate.com. https://slate.com/culture/2023/04/ai-chatgpt-mystery-novel-death-author-stephen-marche.html.

(3) Peering Into the Future of Novels, With the Help of AI - New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/books/ai-novels-stephen-marche.html.

(4) 8 Novels Featuring Artificial Intelligence ‹ CrimeReads. https://crimereads.com/8-novels-featuring-artificial-intelligence/.

(5) The 6 Best Novels for the AI Fanatic | Inc.com. https://www.inc.com/melissa-angell/great-fiction-books-artificial-intelligence.html.

(6) Amazon.com: Artificial Intelligence - Mystery, Thriller & Suspense: Books. https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Thriller-Suspense-Artificial-Intelligence-Books/s?rh=n%3A18%2Cp_28%3AArtificial+Intelligence.

2 of 20

Jim Observations: Bing’s AI does not use the Oxford comma. That may or may not be an issue depending on your preferences, but it caused me to realize I might not have a way to provide my stylistic preferences.

I took the “2 of 20” to mean Bing limited me to 20 questions. My internet search suggested Microsoft had put in a limit of 50 questions a day per user account and subsequently loosened it. It looks like they might have then tightened it again. I suspect they are still working out the details.

Also, the response included (and I neglected to take a screen shot but I have one from another question) several possible follow-up questions I might want to ask. I took my next question from the three it offered.

Which option do you think is the most interesting?

How do I use Reedsy to generate a novel?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using AI to write novels?

Jim:

Which option do you think is most interesting?

Bing’s Response:

That's a subjective question and I don't have a personal preference. In this context, a human might say that it depends on your goals, skills and interests as a blogger and a writer. All three options have their pros and cons and can appeal to different audiences and tastes. You might want to try them all and see which one works best for you and your readers. 😊

Jim’s Observation: Ask a dumb question, get a generic answer. Lesson learned.

Jim:

How do I use GPT-3 to write a blog?

Bing’s Response

To use GPT-3 to write a blog, you need to have access to the OpenAI API and a suitable model such as davinci or chatgpt. You also need to write a **prompt** that tells GPT-3 what you want it to do and how to do it. A prompt is a piece of text that provides context, instructions and examples for GPT-3 to follow. Here are some tips for writing an effective prompt¹:

- Offer context: Give GPT-3 some background information about your topic, audience and purpose.

- Be specific: Tell GPT-3 exactly what you want it to generate, such as a title, an introduction, a summary, etc.

- Provide examples: Show GPT-3 some examples of the desired output and explain why they are good or bad.

- Use keywords: Use relevant keywords or phrases that GPT-3 can use to search for information or generate content.

- Set boundaries: Limit the length, tone and style of the output and avoid sensitive or inappropriate topics.

You can use the OpenAI Playground to test your prompt and see how GPT-3 responds. You can also use a Flask application to create a blog writing tool that generates content in three steps: generating ideas, writing drafts and editing posts⁶. You can find some tutorials and examples of using GPT-3 to write a blog post online²³⁴⁵.

 

Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/28/2023

(1) How to write an effective GPT-3 or GPT-4 prompt | Zapier. https://zapier.com/blog/gpt-3-prompt/.

(2) How to Create an AI Blog Writing Tool with OpenAI API, GPT-3 ... - Medium. https://plainenglish.io/blog/how-to-create-an-ai-blog-writing-tool-with-openai-api-gpt-3-and-python-33665167ff8f.

(3) Using GPT-3 To Write A Blog Post. https://www.upl.cs.wisc.edu/2022/05/12/Using-GPT3-To-Write-A-Blog-Post.html.

(4) How To Use GPT-3 To Your Advantage As A Writer - The Blogsmith. https://www.theblogsmith.com/how-to-use-gpt-3/.

(5) Using ChatGPT to Write a Blog Post - codingcrossroads.com. https://www.codingcrossroads.com/using-chatgpt-to-write-a-blog-post/.

(6) Can You Use Artificial Intelligence (GPT-3) To Write a Better Blog Post? https://www.shaunpoore.com/gpt-3-for-bloggers/.

Jim’s Comment: When asking the same question in the Bing search windows, the results include some of the same references (zpaier.com for example), but most of the top results referred to different references:

How to Write an Article /Blog Post With GPT-3 (Generative AI) www.allabtai.com/how-to-write-an-article-with-ai-gpt-3/

How To Write a Blog Post With Chat GPT (21 Easy Steps) https://www.writingbeginner.com/how-to-write-a-blog-post-with-chat-gpt/

Using GPT-3 To Write A Blog Post https://www.upl.cs.wisc.edu/2022/05/12/Using-GPT3-To-Write-A-Blog-Post.html

Also, Bing provides video links, which the AI did not

Jim’s Conclusion:

Using Bing’s AI as an alternative to standard search, my reaction is this is much ado about nothing. That’s not to say that my original intent to explore AIs that generate content is not worth exploring. I think it is. But the AI light version I experienced using Bing left me unimpressed.

What are your experiences with using AI for writing tasks?

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James M. Jackson authors the Seamus McCree series. Full of mystery and suspense, these thrillers explore financial crimes, family relationships, and what happens when they mix. You can sign up for his newsletter and find more information about Jim and his books at https://jamesmjackson.com.