Maybe you’re tired of talking about
AI--Artificial Intelligence. The new technology seemed to arrive all of a sudden with ChatBot, and writers
and artists around the world reacted negatively. But in truth, AI has
been creeping into our lives for years, slowly and mostly undetected. Is it
helpful or harmful?
Alexa, Amazon’s voice-based smart
home assistant, debuted in 2014. At Christmastime 2018, friends in Texas, a
family with four teenage boys, found one under the Christmas tree. They were
intrigued, naturally. Until a couple of policemen showed up at their door.
Alexa, hearing the boys roughhousing (if you’ve ever had boys, you’ll understand),
called the police, who suspected domestic abuse. I wouldn’t have believed the
story if I didn’t know the people involved.
Now, almost ten years later, we
have a bunch of little Alexa-clones listening to our every word and trying to
help us. Ads for products I’ve researched show up for months. Jewelers
everywhere are still hoping I’ll break down and purchase that twenty-carat
diamond. My cell phone frequently comments, “I didn’t catch that,” and I say
back, “I wasn’t speaking to you.” My computer was recently updated, and now
when I Google something, a helpful little AI person assures me I can ask
her/him anything. No, but you’re very kind to ask. Yesterday I was
looking at a website I subscribe to, trying to decide on an image to use for a
blog. I chose one I liked. Then, for the first time, I was asked if I wanted AI
to generate similar images. Out of curiosity, I tried it. Not impressive. The
AI-generated images were basically re-colored versions of the original. But—and
here’s the point—with no artist’s attribution.
An online
writers’ group I belong to has been having an extended conversation about AI
and authors’ rights. According to one commenter, a best-selling author in
contract negotiations with her Big Five publisher has been asked to give
permission to allow an AI to be trained on her work for the purpose of producing more books like hers, faster
than she can produce them, and with no input from her. She is saying no, but
the publisher is saying it isn’t negotiable. Is this true? I don’t know. It’s
second-hand. But the principle involved is one all artists should be concerned
about.
In a previous blog, I put up a short story generated by AI
“in the style of Connie Berry.” My younger son made the suggestion as a joke.
At the time, I thought it was kind of funny. I don’t think it’s funny anymore.
I can see the appeal of AI and its many uses. Who doesn’t
love asking their phone a quick question and getting the answer immediately?
Who doesn’t love their GPS? And, I must admit, I have actually gone ahead and
ordered that product I see advertised every day for a month. Nevertheless,
writers and artists in general need to stand up for our creative rights. If we
don’t (like every right we have) we will lose it. Our best weapons are the
organizations we belong to and support—MWA, SinC, Authors Guild, RWA, and
others. We’re back to basics: United We Stand, Divided Wea Fall.
What is the scariest thing for you about Artificial Intelligence? Would you ever agree to a contract that included permission for the publisher to train AI on your work?
AI, as it pertains to authors, scares the heck out of me. No, I wouldn't agree to a contract that included my work being used to train AI. I've been looking at an app to give a more realistic voice to my Word Read Aloud feature, and frankly, I've not downloaded it because this whole AI thing freaks me out.
ReplyDeleteDon't even get me started on the deep fake stuff.
Excellent points, Connie. AI’s incursion into the arts is terrifying. I fear that there is little we can do about it. It is here, and it will be used and abused. They call it progress. I remember the movie 2001 A Space Odessey. It took a little longer, but it seems HAL has arrived. Scary
ReplyDeleteAs for contracts, I wouldn't agree to my work being used to train AI, AND I would insist on a clause stating it not be used if the contract was silent on the matter. That said, we can't control the piracy of our work. We never could.
What a thought-provoking and ultimately terrifying post, Connie. Thanks so much for your insights.
ReplyDelete(And sadly, I've been known to get snippy with Alexa from time to time. Ugh.)
Like many things in our lives, AI is a tool.
ReplyDeleteIs it a tool that we will eventually find useful? I remember people complaining that using a keyboard/word processor instead of writing things out longhand will be the ruin of authors, since the brain processes it differently. As someone with limited use of my hands, I'm glad that prediction didn't come true.
Having their music available on the radio hasn't stunted the demand for talented musicians. If anything, it has increased their audience, and live concerts are sometimes sold out within hours of the tickets going on sale. Although pirating remains a problem.
TV presentations have not displaced Broadway shows (although with the strikes right now, it's hard to tell in what direction things will go. Will TV scripts become the next thing that might be replaced by technology?)
Stenographers and typists lost ground with computers. Musicians seems to have held its own.
How will it go with writing novels? My own feeling is that it will remain a useful tool rather than an overriding force that replaces our voices. No guarantee, but can we trust that we bring a unique creative touch to each work that is irreplaceable by AI?
But only time will tell. And if we can exert influence toward a positive outcome, I think we should take advantage of opportunities to have our say on how things develop.
The scariest part is the unknown - what have we unleashed?
ReplyDelete