Blood, Guts, and Other Things That Separate Human Writers from AI, with Dr. Rosalyn Eves
Plus some very human stuff like poetry and an audiobook about monsters
From the Writing Desk:
I blew up my novel this month.
Well, sort of.
Basically after some very helpful workshopping and brainstorming with some writing groups, I’ve realized that the adult novel I’ve been working on has morphed into something I don’t necessarily want it to be. Not that it’s heading in a bad direction, honestly. It’s a pretty cool direction.
Just…not what I set out to write.
My premise keeps trying to be high-stakes and high-octane. I learned a lot about my characters by letting it overexpand like that, but now it needs to be rethunk. Be brought back into the neighborhood and the kitchen, instead of the evil lair.
(Don’t worry…there’s an evil lair in one of my current middle grade WIPs. Just not this adult one.)
And it’s hard to explain exactly why the high-octane direction doesn’t feel right, but you know what it’s like to feel like you’re hitting the correct pitch on a project…or not. It’s that feeling deep in your bones that seems to know what exactly you’re trying to make, even if you don’t have the words yet.
That Michaelangelo idea about seeing the angel in the marble and carving until you set it free.
And you know what?
AI could never.
That’s what we’re gonna talk about today, which is why I’m bringing in much smarter people than me.
A few apt and lovely things I’ve found on this subject I want to share before I let Dr. Eves take over.
“Large language models do not ‘write.’ They generate syntax. They do not think, feel, or experience anything. They are fundamentally incapable of judging truth, accuracy, or veracity.”
-Phil Christman (
) via
And also this lovely poem by
:
Isn’t that great?
And now…
Onward!
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Blood, Guts, and Other Things That Separate Human Writers from AI, with Dr. Rosalyn Eves
I didn’t want to write about AI. There’s already so much written about it, like this post by the amazing
, who has much more coherent thoughts and in depth knowledge on how this AI stuff impacts both writers and artists than I do.But there are two things that finally made me want to at least broach the subject here. First, this is the reality we’re living in now and it feels like we’ve got to talk about it here at least once before going back to our more fun and…humanly scheduled program.
Second, I know someone much smarter than me I can ask about this.
Dr. Rosalyn Eves is the author of several delightful and intelligent books such as An Improbable Season and An Unlikely Proposition. She has a PhD in English from Penn State and teaches English at Southern Utah University. She regularly teaches at Storymakers, my favorite writers conference. At this conference I heard her on a panel about AI, and I knew I wanted to interview her for the newsletter.
I am so, so glad and honored that she agreed.
Welcome, Rosalyn!
1. As a university writing professor, what are the main things you tell your students about AI and how they can or cannot ethically use it?
My approach may not be the same as my peers. I'm very aware that many of my students may go into jobs or careers where they are required to use AI, so I don't ban it entirely. It can be a useful tool for brainstorming, organizing work, and polishing grammar. However, I do expect my students to do most of the work of writing. Education is about learning to do hard things, and using AI to write an entire essay defeats the purpose of learning. We also spend time in class discussing some of the ethical issues raised by AI--the lack of consent used in training, hallucinated sources, bias, environmental costs, etc., so that students who do choose to use some forms of AI are doing so with full awareness of what that means.
2. You and I are both clearly against using any kind of generative AI to create our work for us. But where does that leave creators in this AI world? Do you see any possible ways for writers to use AI tools in our business at all?
As I mentioned above, I think AI can be a useful tool to help writers brainstorm ideas, organize ideas, and polish grammar. However, AI is only a predictive text--it is incapable of creativity, which is what humans bring to their work. As a teacher, I prefer the roughest student work to AI-generated work: it's much more interesting to read.
3. One of the biggest concerns surrounding the ethics of AI is copyright infringement. What is your best advice for writers and artists wanting to both navigate this AI world ethically as well as protect our work?
Unfortunately, I'm not sure that there is much we can do to protect our work from being used to train AI--my first two published novels were used without my consent to train Meta's AI. I'm very interested to see the results of the many lawsuits pending against AI companies regarding copyright infringement, which still remains something of an open question. I think the best thing we can do is make sure our own work is genuinely ours: One of the arguments for avoiding AI is that it becomes hard to know if the output you get from AI is just predictive text--or if, perhaps, AI has managed to memorize a passage from a training text and has produced something close enough to copyrighted output to constitute infringement.
4. Any words of comfort for those of us who are bit worried about what AI will do to creativity and creative industries?
I don't claim to be able to predict how AI may change things (and I do worry about the cost to human creatives), but I'm generally optimistic that there will always be a market for human-created goods. AI can only recombine ideas already in its system--it can't create anything new without human engagement. (Even the few cases where AI-generated work approaches actual art, it's been done through human-generated prompts). Creativity is a uniquely human characteristic.
Thank you so, so much Rosalyn! It was an honor, and thank you for your work and your time. Make sure you check out Rosalyn’s amazing books and learn more on her website!
What I’m Reading: I’ve been on a good streak with audio nonfiction lately, and found some fantastic ones. My favorite nonfiction is quirky history, and these definitely fit the bill. One is the history of America through the horror stories it tells itself, from the Salem Witch trials to Poe to King to Peele. The other is a history of the earliest years/decades of animation, and it’s as nutty and rompy as you might expect. (Wait till you get to the Boop boop de doop Trial).
What I’m Watching: All Creatures Great And Small (I’m watching via my Masterpiece/PBS add-on on Prime) just finished its most recent season and it’s an absolute delight. If you have an (even more heartfelt and wholesome) Downton Abbey shaped hole in your heart this might be what you need. (Also I have a hard core ship in this show and if it doesn’t pan out in upcoming seasons I’m gonna be enraged).
Could AI Do Voice Acting?: Whether you watch The Simpsons or not, this trial of Hank Azaria vs The Robots was really interesting.
Also come hang out with me and my author friend P.J. Gardner while we talk all things writing and creativity!
What I’m Drawing: Since it was February, I made some…um…Valentine’s cards.
Also check out the bookish swag I’ve got up for sale in my new little swag shop!
"Live, and be happy, and make others so."
― Mary Shelley
Writing Opportunity: Plott Hound Magazine features animal POV speculative stories and poetry!!!! More of this please!! Due March 15.
Teacher’s Table
Some goodies especially for the teachers:
Don’t miss this incredible Poetry March Madness curriculum and lesson plan by Brian Sztabnik.
Everything needed to get your young writers started is here in Tools Not Rules: A Writing Guide for Young Creatives.
Free activity sheets for teachers and librarians to keep at your desk or use in or between lessons! More added all the time, so check back regularly.
I would love to do a free virtual author visit with your class! Reach out to me via my website and let’s schedule something.
You guys are rock stars!
Thanks for coming along everyone! The best way to support is to 1) subscribe, 2) get a copy of the book bebes, and 3) keep glowing, you shining star you.
-Sarah
So many great things here! I love that poem...and great AI interview.