By Chrissy Brown | C.A.A.B. Publishing
A.I has become the latest craze and the latest scare for gifted individuals. Although it has been around for quite a while, it is getting to a point where the things it can do are concerning and potentially catastrophic for many creative industries.
But, it is not all doom and gloom.
A.I can be a fantastic asset to help a writer with editing or to help an artist with their project. It can assist with visualization, planning or even spark new ideas. However, it can also be used to create work that may be infringing on others copyright and stealing from those that have worked very hard at their chosen field.
One worry is where A.I generates phrases or images from, and how it gathers them from everything that it can find on the internet. This could lead to art work or parts of manuscripts being taken from a writer or artist and used with out permission. A worry for all the creative people out there.
So, should you use A.I when writing or creating?
The answer is not as simple as you may think. Ideas can not be copyrighted and so if you use A.I to help you with an idea for a story or ask it for advice on how to develop one of your characters, this could be fine and very helpful. It may even mean an end to writers block, but if you allow A.I to write your story for you, you may find that entire paragraphs have been lifted from other writers work. Not good when you get sued by that writer for copyright infringement.
This is a tool, not an alternative to hard work or creativity.
The same can be said for illustrations. If you want to add your own artwork to a book, you should really have some level of artist talent, using A.I to generate images seems like a cheap and easy option but could find you being labelled as a thief by the original artist, if the A.I uses work that is under copyright.
The final thought is that using A.I can be very helpful in small doses. Most technology is great if used as an aid and not as a replacement. Be aware of the laws surrounding this type of use and embrace your responsibility to double check everything.
“I didn’t know.” Is not an excuse.
Make A.I work for you, but be sure to work for yourself as well. Getting A.I to write your story is just plain lazy and will never make you a fantastic writer. A.I will only make a mediocre writer more mediocre as their shallow pool of talent and creativity dries up and withers away from lack of use.
Write it yourself, write it well and be proud of your work.
That Night and Other Stories
by Peter F. Crowley
This collection of short stories illuminates the particular in order to highlight the universal.
An anthology of stories by a master wordsmith. Through humour, satire and cynicism, the stories depict daunting elements of our time, and takes you on a journey into the lives of characters who you may recognise even if you don’t want to.
C.A.A.B Publishing
CAAB Publishing Ltd is a traditional, small, indie company helping unknown authors have a voice and inspiring new writers to take that first step into the world of publishing.
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Article originally Published in the March / April / May 2024 Issue: Indie in Bloom.