The End Of The World? I Asked ChatGPT To Tell Me A Story (And I Feel Fine)

/ Ally Bean

INTRODUCTION

Pride goeth before the fall, as my mother used to say.

To see what would happen I asked ChatGPT to tell me a story about a starfish, a kohlrabi, and a dragon. It did so quickly crafting a 338 word story. Then I went to pixabay to look for suitable free photos/images to enhance the story.

This little adventure in putting together a blog post took me [maybe] 15 minutes. In truth I spent most of that time searching through pixabay pictures and not waiting for AI to compose a story.

Admittedly as someone who writes a personal blog I’ve always known that I was optional, but I do take pride in doing my best here. Nonetheless with ChatGPT and its ilk creating good stories, maybe even better ones than what I write, I wonder if my optionality is just the first step to insignificance.

However, be that as it may or may not be, I invite you to read the following story and decide for yourself if there’s anything for me, for any blogger, for any writer, to worry about.

THE TALE OF THE OCEAN HEROES

Once upon a time, in a mythical land, there lived a starfish named Stella. Stella was a special starfish as she had the power to talk and communicate with other creatures in the sea. She loved to explore and make new friends.

Stella the starfish

One day, while she was exploring the seabed, she stumbled upon a strange-looking vegetable called kohlrabi. It was not something she had seen before, and she was curious to know more about it. Suddenly, she heard a loud roar, and when she looked up, she saw a dragon flying above her.

The dragon was not like any other dragon. It was small and cute, and its scales were a mix of pink and purple. The dragon landed on the seabed and introduced herself as Daisy. Stella and Daisy became instant friends and decided to explore the sea together.

Daisy the dragon

As they were swimming, they saw a group of fish swimming frantically, and they decided to investigate. The fish were caught in a fishing net, and they needed help. Stella and Daisy knew they had to act fast. They called out to all the sea creatures nearby, including kohlrabi, to help them rescue the fish.

With the kohlrabi’s sharp edges, they cut the fishing net and freed the fish. The sea creatures cheered, and they became friends. Stella, Daisy, and the kohlrabi decided to form a team to help other sea creatures in need. They called themselves “The Ocean Heroes.”

the kohlrabi

From that day on, Stella the starfish, Daisy the dragon, and the kohlrabi went on many adventures together, helping other sea creatures in need. They even helped a lost turtle find its way back home. The Ocean Heroes became well known and loved in the sea, and their friendship and courage inspired many other sea creatures.

And so, Stella the starfish, Daisy the dragon, and the kohlrabi formed an unbreakable bond of friendship, proving that no matter how different we may seem, we can achieve great things when we work together.

MY OPINION & REVIEW OF THE STORY 

As you can see ChatGPT wrote a sweet short story. It made me smile and gave me all the warm feels. I suspect that was the point. Even as an adult I recognize that I want to be Stella the starfish. She’s curious, friendly, proactive, and courageous.

A definite role model.

And Daisy the dragon? Beyond being cute she’s a confident bff who helps solve problems. I like her, too.

My only qualm with this story is why didn’t ChatGPT give the kohlrabi a name, like Kenneth the kohlrabi? That seems short-sighted to me.

It’s as if ChatGPT is lacking in understanding about human relationships, unaware that humans tend to name every *person* in a story so that humans might more easily intuitively grasp the message of the story.

But then, what do I know?

I’m just a human.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

What do you think of the story? Do you want to be Stella the starfish when you grow up?

Could you write a better story? And if so, how long would it take you to write and edit it? Then create artwork for it?

Are you concerned about Artificial Intelligence creeping into the world of writers and displacing humans?

• + • + •

263 thoughts on “The End Of The World? I Asked ChatGPT To Tell Me A Story (And I Feel Fine)”

  2. I realize that the current AI does not really have much ability to tell a story in a creative, engaging way. I find the language very stilted. But later versions might improve. That’s an odd kohlrabi that can be used like a saw!

    I’m not too worried…yet. And no, I do not want to be Stella.

    Liked by 6 people

  3. Honestly, the story doesn’t do much for me. It sounds like a made up bedtime story for a 5 year old. If it were published in 365 Bedtime Stories (or some such), I’d not bother to read the remaining the stories.

    Being Stella the Starfish is not appealing to me. Becoming friends with a Kohlrabi, especially a nameless one, seems sad. Like maybe she’s a bit too lonely or needy.

    There are things about AI that I find concerning, but not their literary efforts. 😀

    BTW: If I wrote the story, the VEGETARIAN dragon would EAT the Kohlrabi . . .

    Liked by 9 people

    • Nancy, I like your analysis of the story. It is very simplistic, a definite bedtime tale. I found it interesting that the first names for the main characters were alliterative, as if that’s how it is in children’s literature.

      I agree that AI can misrepresent the news, but when it comes to telling stories there’s room for improvement.

      As for Daisy eating Kenneth the kohlrabi, that’s just mean. They’re friends. 🤓

      Liked by 1 person

      • To Nancy’s point, all this story needed was some cartoon-y artwork and it would make for a passable children’s book. Parents can now create stories framed on whatever concepts they deem acceptable to their own kids (which is pretty cool, actually). Ultimately, I agree with several commenters: the story lacks a “human touch”. I read an article recently which made the same point about the unreliability of weather apps. The writer said the apps predict the weather strictly from data, without the interpretation of weather-people you get from the nightly news. Without that dimension, the end result is often unsatisfactory.

        Liked by 5 people

        • Dave, I agree that this could be a bedtime story for very young kids. I liked Stella, I won’t lie. BUT without the human touch, the story is boring to a point that I think even little children wouldn’t like it. Didn’t know about parents creating their own stories, but if this is an example of what they’d get… maybe writing one yourself is a better idea!

          I read that article about the weather apps and applauded. It confirmed my suspicions about those apps.

          Liked by 1 person

        • I once read that Tolkien used to tell his kids bedtime stories and based on that he wrote The Hobbit. (LotR was a different story, it took him 12 long years to write that!) Would ChatGPT ever be able to write something like THAT?

          I think ChatGPT and its “pals” are tools. We confuse the “Artificial Intelligence” descriptor we’ve given them with a notion of the tools possessing intelligence. Just like, I read, when Eliza came out, it wasn’t EXACTLY the end of psychology.

          Is it a very powerful tool? Yes. Will its impact be magnified given how powerful of a tool it is? Yes. Is it sentient? NO (in capital letters for emphasis).

          Are we ready for it? What do you think?

          Liked by 2 people

          • EW, interesting about Tolkien and how The Hobbit came about. I agree that all AI is a tool and as such can be useful. I suspect that it’ll get *smarter* as we go along and may eventually be able to write a better story than this one, but like you said it isn’t sentient thus it’ll never entirely write like a human.

            In other words, ChatGPT is no Tolkien! 🤓

            Liked by 1 person

    • Darlene, I came to the same conclusion. I’m not worrying. I liked the story well enough, but not giving the kohlrabi a name? Well that showed me that ChatGPT has a ways to go when creating stories.

      Liked by 2 people

  6. I think you know my feelings about AI as I have been blogging about it recently. I worry about standardisation of texts and that means narrowing of perspectives and then narrowing of knowledge and, God I hope not, narrowing of thought. My son is completing a PhD in machine learning and Cyber security and he dislikes the way A I is headed. I trust his call on that.
    He assures me that AI cannot think but it can learn or associate?? It can spit back the Data it is trained on. The latest version of Chat gpt 4 seems to challenge that. I thought the story was cute as a story for young children. It was somewhat repetitive and seemed a tad formulaic. It surely felt somewhat lacking the human touch element that is characteristic of good literature, and stories and the riveting posts that Ally Bean writes.
    Who knows whether my answer here is even written by me or AI?
    That is the concern.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Amanda, I know where you stand on AI and am sure you’re onto something about its potential for evil, for narrowing thought. For certain things I can see its usefulness: how-to manuals come to mind, wherein AI can compile all the current pertinent rules/guidelines/procedures on a topic. But for the rest of writing, like this story or your comment [!], I don’t see it working too well… says the human being.

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      • I can totally see your point about how to manuals on ‘past” technology, information that would only be as current as the last update of the app. There is still a place then for the novel how to manuals, perhaps? I have to question my negativity towards A.I. and confess to using it to write a speech for a public speaking class. (I didn’t want to, had no time to, but used it as a shortcut) I edited the speech, and I noted it was structured well, but it did help me contain me from running off-topic and trying to include too much information. So I learnt something there. It seems A.I’s talent is formulaic writing – and so your assumption about its use seems spot on. I am glad you could detect it was me that wrote the comment – supposedly ChatGPT has controls in it that disallow hate speech, but I do wonder how tight those controls are. I have so many questions about A.I. – maybe I should ask it. If I haven’t used up all my free requests yet.

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  7. I like what Eileen said…the story felt ‘stilted’ and I bet that’s an adjective that wouldn’t appear readily in an AI created tale! 🤣 I think that’s my reaction…the story is sweet…and even though the technology behind it is nearly unfathomable…it reads child-like. And your thought about “Kenneth Kohlrabi”…too funny, Ally. Give the veg some respect! 😎

    Liked by 1 person

  9. It’s a simple, predictable children’s story, much like a bunch of others I’ve read to my grands that were presumably written by humans. I suspect AI will become much better at churning out stories, including more complex fiction that adults might enjoy. It’s easy to criticize it now, but eventually it will do everything better than we can, which is kinda scary imo…

    Liked by 1 person

    • Paula, I liked the story for what it is, but it is simplistic. Still a little bitter about the no-name kohlrabi, but if like you say AI gets better at writing complex fiction then it could be scary. Who knows what’s to come?

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Yawn.

    The story is boring and prosaic. It’s so obvious that the kohlrabi doesn’t fit. There’s no imagery, no creative use of language, not even any onomatopoeia. There’s no dialogue. It’s terrible.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Nance, I agree with your assessment of the story. ‘Tis not the most original one ever, but I did like Stella. Why ChatGPT didn’t include the kohlrabi as an equal *named* character in the story baffles me, but then AI is new– with room for improvement.

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  11. The story seemed basic to me, as others mentioned. It lacks texture. Even the names chosen were names I’ve seen online for the same creatures. (There is an actual picture book called STELLA THE STARFISH. And there is a series based on Daisy the dragon.) The human touch is definitely needed.
    Glad you had fun choosing images to go with the story.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. I don’t know what to think, honestly. There is so much power and potential in AI, but it could quickly be used for horrible things, like we see with all other technologies. There is nothing new under the sun, but it feels like there are just so many more competing things to manage and restrain in our modern era.

    The challenge is (and has always been) harnessing the good and minimizing the bad, but we don’t have a track record of being insightful about what is good vs. bad with emerging tech (and, of course, this is all relative since what is “good” and what is “bad” and will AI be able to differentiate or exist within some moral framework we provide).

    And now my head is spinning.

    Stella was sweet; I can see life as a starfish being quite lovely in a quiet little bay somewhere…

    Liked by 1 person

    • Elisabeth, you said it and it’s how I feel too: “…so many more competing things to manage and restrain in our modern era.” This reality tires me to my core.

      And you’re right about how do you put a moral framework of any sort on computer intelligence? People would first have to agree what is moral, what isn’t. Like that’s happened lately! Hardly

      I’m glad you liked Stella, too. If nothing else from this little experiment in AI I shall henceforth think fondly about starfish.

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  14. I thought it was a fine little bedtime story, one of the bazillion that I have to read to my grandson when he stays over. In all honesty, it’s not that different from the books I read to him now, but believe it or not it makes more sense. I remember when we spent the night at the Vermillion OH marina because of weather, and decided to do laundry. The laundry room was completely filled with hundreds of books by one author (at least one name). Apparently he (or they) wrote a book EVERY MONTH! This was about 20 years ago so no AI there, but certainly a plug in formula. So would we notice the difference? I wouldn’t mind being Stella. For that matter Kohlrabi would be kind of a cool name too. Wait 5 years and you’ll meet someone named Kohlrabi!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Martha, I think the same thing as you, that while this story isn’t the greatest, it’s similar to many out there. Children’s literature can be formulaic. I love the idea that this story even makes more sense.

      I’m fascinated by the author [or authors under one name] who wrote a book a month! You make a great point about how it’s not all that different from using AI to write stories.

      Another Stella fan. Yay! Laughing about Kohlrabi as a popular name. Sure, why not?

      Liked by 1 person

  15. As someone who volunteers in the elementary school classroom, I find that a pretty good 3rd grade story. It would have been an A+ if the kohlrabi had a name, but any kid who could spell kohlrabi deserves an A. (And nrhatch is right, Daisy eating the kohlrabi would be hilarious and kids would love that.)

    Liked by 2 people

  16. I’m laughing because I wrote a space story for the grands way back during our first science unit last fall about Stella Star and Sammy Star so of course I love this story! I see your point however Ally Bean, that ChatGPT doesn’t grasp the concept of anthropomorphism we humans treasure. Poor old Kenny Kohlrabi now must travel the oceans with no real identity, but doing great things nonetheless. I hope that’s enough for him to feel a small amount of pride over his good deeds 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • Deb, I’m laughing out loud here. OF COURSE you wrote a story about Stella Star and Sammy Star! Why wouldn’t you? I’m guessing that your story was more interesting than this one, not that it’s awful exactly. I like the idea of calling him Kenny Kohlrabi, a much mellower name than the one I suggested. I, also, agree that one can only hope he’s able to take pride in his heroic accomplishments, even without a proper name.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I’m sure even odd vegetables want to be known and recognized as individuals so I hope AI can internalize the concept of identity and do better in the future 😉 Reading your AI story made me finally feel that I could claim the title of WRITER if AI can. Mine was at least as good as Stella Starfish 😉 Which now leads me to wonder–could I be non-human and not know it? Hmmmmmm

        Liked by 1 person

  17. The story felt very elementary to me, I even found myself losing interest. I wonder if the instructions were more specific adding instructions like expected reading and vocabulary levels if the result would have been different. I know when I experimented with AI for image generation there was a tipping point where specificity caused less than desired results. Could I write a better story? Well, that depends on who is judging what is better, but I think yes, even though it would undoubtedly take me longer. (AI takes me back to the same fascination I had when watching The Time Machine. Those talking rings made my imagination go wild!) It will only threaten writers if we choose to stop writing.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Ok, I was amused by the childishness of that story. It reminded me of the ‘books’ my kids would create as part of school projects . . . along the lines of, “So this happened, then that happened . . . ”

    I don’t think any of us bloggers have anything to worry about! LOL!

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    • Bijoux, I thought the story was amusingly sweet in a very basic way, too. Not great literature, but like you said similar to those book writing projects in elementary school. Agree that if this is an example of ChatGPT’s creative prowess, then we bloggers have nothing to worry about.

      Like

  19. I can’t help but laugh at the sentient kohlrabi living in the seabed with it’s razor-sharp something-rather! It is a cute story, and I admittedly enjoyed it, even if it was simplistic and predictable.

    AI makes me nervous. I worked on a project 7 years ago where our partners were working on some scary technologies that involved AI, making ChatGPT look like child’s play. I do believe that AI will replace (professional) human writers within 10-15 years and they’ve be placated with UBI or similar, but my bigger concern is the military application of AI. Maybe Stella the Starfish, Daisy the Dragon, and Kenneth the Kohlrabi will save the day?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Erin, for what it is, I liked the story too. I didn’t have a high bar for it, so anything that ChatGPT produced was going to be okay. I still am bitter about the kohlrabi not being named, but I’m working to get over it.

      I’m intrigued by your insights into the more scary applications of AI. Military use of AI could be a good thing, I guess. But being a jaded person I’m going to lean into the idea that the military won’t necessarily use it in the ways I’d call good. Like you said, we can hope the Ocean Heroes save us from our worst tendencies.

      Liked by 1 person

  20. I think AI will revolutionize the way certain kinds of writing are produced. It will be easier and more efficient (which means cheaper) to create informational texts for many purposes. Watching English teachers and others react to it reminds me of earlier reactions to editing tools in word processing programs. People were afraid that no one would learn the conventions of written English. The thing is, you still have to know what good writing is, just as you still have to know what the rules of conventions are, for the tools to really work for you. And, the tools can help you learn those things. I see a new set of skills that we’ll need to develop; knowing how to craft a good prompt to get the result you want is something we won’t just know how to do. To evaluate whether or not the writing produced meets our needs, we’ll need to become better at evaluating written works. All of that said, I think there will always be a place for other kinds of writing, produced by humans in response to the experience of being human. We’ll value it because it was made by humans. I’ve made jokes about how I’m going to be a “bespoke writer” in the world of bots.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Rita, your reasoning is sound. I, too, see a place for AI in certain areas. I figure it’ll be integrated into our lives in the same way that using Google for research is now accepted as a source. I also agree that: The thing is, you still have to know what good writing is, just as you still have to know what the rules of conventions are, for the tools to really work for you. That’s the truth of it.

      When I was in graduate school we were allowed to write our own library search prompts [undergrads had to talk with a librarian and she’d ask the computer for you]. There was a learning curve to knowing how to get the computer to generate the specific info you needed. Boolean logic, anyone?!!

      I like the idea of being a bespoke writer. Now that’s a job title for today’s world.

      Liked by 1 person

      • I loved teaching lessons on how to write search queries! It would blow students’ minds, how much different the results could be. The idea that undergrads could not write their own kinda blows mine. And don’t get me started on teachers who still (still!) require a “print” source for research–a throwback to the early days of the internet. What they really want is a valid source, but teaching students what that is now is so much harder than specifying “print.” (The blessing and curse of our current landscape of abundant information; all new tech has both sides, doesn’t it?) So many digital resources meet criteria for good information. But, I see I have somehow climbed up on my nerdy soapbox, and I’ll now step down…

        Liked by 1 person

        • Using the library for computer searches was a new thing when I was in grad school, so only grad students could do it directly. And weren’t we special! Some teachers still want a print source? Well that sounds a bit antiquated, but I do get the point about using only legitimate sources when doing research. Fascinating what changes and who goes with it understanding its value– and who just doesn’t get it. Same as it ever was!

          Liked by 1 person

  21. It’s a cute story for little kids. Not a lot of creativity or depth. I don’t know why I’m not worried about AI. If it doesn’t have a beating heart, know the joy of love or the pain of loss, never watched the sun rise or set, or been stuck in a Los Angeles freeway traffic jam for hours, it ain’t human. LOL!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Robin, yours is a rational definition of what it means to be human– and the corollary to it, that by your definition AI isn’t human. Therefore why sweat it? The story is cute, the characters are simplistic, but for a young child it might be a great story. I dunno. It’s what I got when I asked.

      Like

  22. I am very LALALA/hands over ears/looking pointedly into the sky about AI and its potential effect on the writing world. If I had to give a pure, unexamined gut reaction I would say, YIKES. AI shouldn’t be writing stories! Stories are about the breadth and depth of human experience! (But then I would ponder whether it is discriminatory to prevent AI from writing about human experience, or short-sighted to consider stories and writing as belonging to only humans, or limiting to disregard art in all its forms and provenances. Sigh.)

    My biggest problem with the story is that kohlrabi doesn’t, in my admittedly limited experience, have sharp edges. Protuberances, maybe. But then again, how can I expect an AI to understand the concept of “sharp” and how it applies to a kohlrabi?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Suzanne, you’re doing an excellent job of examining the potential issues involved with asking AI to write stories. I get what you’re saying. Your “LALALA/hands over ears/looking pointedly into the sky” response seems sane to me. All we can do is pay attention and see where these issues go.

      My experience with kohlrabis is the same as yours. I’ve never encountered one that has sharp edges, but maybe there are some tough ones out there who are just waiting to cut things. OR it could be that ChatGPT doesn’t know what it’s talking about.

      Liked by 1 person

  23. I thought this was a hilarious and awesome “idea” for a story! But it would take an actual human to flesh it out and make it truly enjoyable. I laughed out loud at the thought of a Kohlrabi as a character – and for some reason, the photo made me laugh even harder. What an odd vegetable! But then, YOU were the one who chose the Kohlrabi, right? So maybe AI is a nice idea generator, but it wouldn’t be much without human input.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Michelle, that’s an excellent point. It’s all about human input at this point. If we give AI instructions then think of what it tells us as an idea generator [not the best of something or the truth], then that takes away its seemingly ominous power. I mean, ChatGPT would never think to make a kohlrabi a character in a story– that took a human being like me. 🙄

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  24. I will not lie. I am rather relieved this little story is simplistic and not overly imaginative. I see so many bloggers putting this ChatShit to the test and none with outstanding results. Relieved because can you imagine? Teachers are already catching students using it. It does worry me that it is so accessible as people are already lazy enough!

    I think true writers and bloggers are safe. Of course, the more this thing is used, the more it will adapt and that does, again, give me pause!

    As per, you make us think, Ally.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Dale, I take your point about this story. After ChatGPT generate it I was asked what I liked about it. I merely said “it’s sweet.” I didn’t want to engage further with the system, nor help it in any way get better. I can instantly see how AI will be used by lazy students… who become lazy employees… 🫤

      Liked by 1 person

      • I didn’t want to diss your trying it out! (As I’m sure you know.) And I like that! You didn’t want to engage it!
        My beau said his son (a teacher) has already caught a student using it (and he works in a private all-girls school).

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        • I took no offense with your comment so worry not. [After all these years in blogging you’d have to be a heck of a lot ruder to even register with me. I’m sure you understand.]

          So kids are trying to sneak AI by teachers. And this girl’s parents even pay [presumably] big bucks for her to get a great education. I guess she did, when she got caught for cheating!

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  26. My first throught was, “Kohlrabi on a seabed? C’mon AI, that’s a major fail.” It would be hydrolyzed by the seawater into mush, if it lived at all. But for non-botanists, this story might fly. I’m not too worried (yet) about AI, since I have a genealogy blog. Not much chance it would be familiar with my family tree 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Molly, good thinking about how our poor unnamed kohlrabi wouldn’t make it in the ocean. It’s like AI wasn’t entirely aware of reality. Can you imagine? I’d say IF ChatGPT knows your family tree, we’re all in trouble. That’d be a little too personal for my liking.

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  27. Hi Ally – I’ve also had some fun with Chat GPT. This story also made me smile. Definitely agree that the kohlrabi should have been given a name. I’m not worried about AI taking over the personal blogging world, although I can see how blogs for profit might use it to create content. I’m attending a library training soon that discusses the role of AI in libraries. Not sure what they’re going to tell me – I hope it’s a human running the show!

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    • Barbara, I mean it’s one thing to create a simple story, but not naming the kohlrabi? I am hurt by that oversight.

      I’d not thought about how blogs written for profit, or to establish yourself as an influencer/expert [🙄], could use AI to create their posts– and we’d be none the wiser.

      I hope your library training is run by a human, so you can get the real story not just a generated one like this one.

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  29. I am not looking forward to AI generated art. Art is not supposed to be quick and simple. Even children’s stories, these days, have depth. Brian Lageose at Bonnywood Manor used to do a writing challenge where he gave you three words that must appear in the story. Maybe we should do more of that. It was a fun exercise and produced one of my better blogs.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Jenn, I’m with you in that I prefer depth rather than quick and simple. And trust me when I say that generating this little story was fast, fast, fast. I don’t know about Lageose’s three word writing challenge, but I seem to have done that by asking ChatGPT to write a story.

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  30. Sharp kohlrabi? What’s that about? I think that ChatGPT has failed in one of the the ways that I find humans most fallible when telling stories – it left me with too many questions.

    We’re currently watching the BBC detective series Shetland, and have moved on to the ones which are no longer based on Ann Cleves’ books. Himself & I are constantly asking questions of the television… and they remain unanswered. I think if ChatGPT plans to replace humans, it needs to do a better job than the not as good as you’d like them to be screenwriters.

    Stella made me laugh 😀

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    • Deb, great observation about what’s wrong with stories. You’re right, too many unanswered questions are a turn off.

      I’m smiling about you two directing questions to your TV, questions that go unanswered. If my one story request is anything to go by, you’ve set the bar high for ChatGPT. No screenwriter need fear it.

      And yes, Stella is a wonderful starfish. Glad you could see that in her.

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  32. I thought the story was pretty stilted and the sharp edges on those kohlrabi! Yikes! Overall, not bad for an artificial response although I have to say that there’s something artificial-feeling to it, too.

    I know that some governments (including my own) are concerned about the implications of AI and are considering a moratorium on it until those implications can be fully considered. I think that approach may be wise (a wise approach from a government? Did I land in Alice’s Wonderland?). We don’t know what we don’t know with AI and to let it proliferate uncontrollably could have very serious consequences. Best to stop and consider first.

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    • Lynette, well said, the story did seem artificial coming as it did from Artificial Intelligence. Still not clear about how those sharp kohlrabi edges are going to cut anything, but details! I’m such a pesky human. 🙄

      I’ve read about how some governments are considering slowing down the proliferation of AI. I don’t know how that’d work from a pragmatic point of view, but from a theoretical point of view I’m all for it. Not a fan of serious [avoidable] consequences.

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  33. ”I wonder if my optionality is just the first step to insignificance.” An interesting and disturbing thought!

    What amazes me about AI’s storytelling capabilities is its coherence. It didn’t suddenly start writing gibberish or end in a weird way – no, this is a coherent story.

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    • The Snow Melts Somewhere, I can accept being optional with grace, but to be insignificant because artificial intelligence is better at writing than I, well that makes me snarl.

      I agree that the story, while not multi-faceted and dynamic, makes sense and ends on a high note. I had no idea what I’d get when I asked for a story, so quite a surprise.

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    • Margaret, I literally asked: “tell me a story about a starfish, a kohlrabi, and a dragon.” Those words and this is what I got. In seconds. Which kind of freaked me out. I, also, don’t think of kohlrabi as having sharp edges, but ChatGPT does.

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  35. Yes, WHY DIDN’T THEY GIVE KOHLRABI A NAME. Poor, anonymous kohlrabi. Not even a capital K.
    I was immediately charmed by Stella, and then by Daisy. It’s very cute what robots can do now! A far cry from Rosie 🙂
    I did not realize kohlrabi (or, Kohlrabi as I’m calling him for respect) is sharp edged. I really didn’t. What else don’t we know about kohlrabi/ Kohlrabi, is the question we should all be asking.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Nicole, I see that you intuitively understand my bitterness about how the kohlrabi was marginalized. He deserved a name, along with Stella and Daisy. BUT NO! Good point about how ChatGPT makes Rosie seem stiff.

      You’re right there is a backstory to Kenny Kohlrabi [as another commenter named him]. I want to know more about his sharp edges and early home life. Inquiring minds, and all that.

      Like

  36. What a cute story but as everyone said, I wouldn’t be too worried about AI taking over on this job yet. “Artificial” is in the name, no? Thanks for sharing how this new “tool” works. Happy Tuesday!

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  37. such an interesting post, ally – and I only just started watching South Park and they recently did an episode talking about AI (called “Deep Learning”) and it came to mind with your post
    and regarding the question “Are you concerned about Artificial Intelligence creeping into the world of writers and displacing humans”
    I am a little concerned….

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  39. Word has it that the Marvel Cinematic Universe folks are quivering in their capes at the thought of going head-to-head (does kohlrabi have a head?) with The Ocean Heroes. Just when the Avengers and Dr. Strange were beginning to get tiresome, thanks to AI we have a whole new crop of superheroes. Some with fiber….

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    • Donna, oh you’ve made me laugh at the possibility of The Ocean Heroes overtaking the Marvel Universe. It’s only going to happen if ChatGPT is capable of churning out more masterpieces like this one. 😜

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  40. No, I don’t feel threatened by AI. Okay, so they can come up with a simple story, but where are all the twists and turns in the plot, the fun details and the way the author makes the story their own. I guess that’s what I feel missing. The personal touch.
    I will never forget what a editor told me at a writer’s conference before when looking at one of my stories. There were red marks all over it of course because the technical aspects of writing is where I fail. I like to think that I am learning, but to me that is the hardest part. So anyway, when he handed back the story to me with the red marks ,he said, “Don’t worry about seeing red, the technical aspects of writing can be taught. You can learn. But your style of writing, your imagination, that I can’t teach. That is a gift!”
    And that is something that can’t be duplicated by technology.

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  41. How interesting, Ally. Let’s be clear – YOU think up the coolest stuff. That ChatGPT could make a story about it is secondary to the fact that you put a starfish, a kohlrabi and a dragon together. But I was grateful that ChatGPT identified a kohlrabi as a vegetable because I didn’t know that.

    This story makes me think of some of the children’s book I read to my kids. Some are stories like this – okay and they pass. But some really get to the heart of things and those are the ones we love. Like the little book, “You are my I love you.”
    “I am your parent;
    You are my child.
    I am your quiet place;
    You are my wild.
    I am your calm face;
    you are my giggle.
    I am your wait;
    you are my wiggle.
    I am your way home;
    you are my new path.
    I am your dry towel;
    You are my wet bath.”

    And it goes on to end “I am your lullaby; you are my peekabo. I am your good-night kiss; you are my I love you.”

    I think it takes a human to be able to speak to both adults and kids.

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  42. Wynne, obviously the story you share here is infinitely more nuanced and meaningful and adorable than this ChatGPT story. Using both these stories as examples I’m going to lean into the idea that fiction writers need not worry about what AI can generate. Sure my three words were a start, but after that… not so compelling.

    Also, glad that ChatGPT educated you about kohlrabis. Happy that AI has expanded your dining horizons.

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  43. Ally, I could handle being either Stella or Daisy. I think they both have admirable traits! I don’t know how long it would take me to craft a similar tale, but I can assure you as I have trouble even drawing stick figures it would take until the 12th of never for me to do artwork. As for AI, I have started to read up on it as to its current and future potential. However, I haven’t asked any AI entity to create something or carry on a conversation with me yet. This might be the “advancement” in technology that really turns the world upside down in the future. I’m not prepared to forecast all gloom and doom yet, but if I had to choose whether this developing “service” is great or bad I’d vote bad right now. Just have a bad feeling about AI.

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    • Bruce, I thought the two named main characters were lovely, in a young children’s book kind of way. I’m with you about my drawing ability, or lack thereof, which is why I went to pixabay.

      I’ve only engaged with AI twice. First to ask some information, then to create this story. It was disconcerting how quickly ChatGPT *wrote* this story and I can see how it could be used in nefarious ways. Lazy students, con artists, devious co-workers, I can see how it could easily be misused. I don’t know where AI’s going, but like you I have to wonder. I guess we’ll find out all together.

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    • Jan, I agree that story is predictable, which is what I imagine all AI stories would be? A guess. Up until reading this tale I never thought much about starfish, but now Stella has charmed me.

      Like

  45. What do you think of the story? It was heartwarming and cute, especially for children.
    Do you want to be Stella the starfish when you grow up? No. Still not sure what I want to be when I grow up, but not a starfish or a dragon.
    Could you write a better story? Probably not, but then, that’s not the kind of stories I write, anyway. Mine are based on my life experiences. Can AI do that? What kind of life experience can an AI have?
    And if so, how long would it take you to write and edit it? Then create artwork for it? My writing doesn’t involve artwork. However, I once wrote a story about a bull. I think. It didn’t take too long, but certainly longer than 15 minutes. I wonder what I did with that story. Hmm.

    Are you concerned about Artificial Intelligence creeping into the world of writers and displacing humans? YES!!!!!! I was on someone else’s blog discussing the fact that if Elon Musk is worried about AI taking over, then so am I! Great post. Glad I can read again and can visit your blog again. I’ve missed you! Mona

    Liked by 1 person

    • Mona, I’m happy to see you here. How ‘ya been? I liked the story, too– for what it is. I love your line that summarizes my take on this too: What kind of life experience can an AI have? Not much of one, I’d reckon.

      I think that’s why I don’t see ChatGPT or its ilk taking over fiction writing– or personal blogging. Other areas of writing, maybe. It’s a difficult for me to try to wrap my head around AI displacing all human writers, yet there are murmurings about it. I’ve no answer, just questions.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Mona, while I wouldn’t mind being Stella the starfish when I grow up, I take your point about not wanting to be a starfish. To each her own! I understand what you mean when you ask about what kind of life experiences could AI have. I think that fact will be what ultimately slows down AI. At least when it comes to writing, both fiction and personal story telling. As for articles based on facts, AI may do a good job with that, especially how-to reports & blogs wherein being up-to-date is more important than having a distinct personality.

      I read about EM’s take on it, too. I don’t know what AI will do to us, but I am aware of it and how quickly our world could change because of it. It seems slightly menacing at this point.

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  46. I can see how that story would be a good start, but it would definitely need more of a human touch to personalize it more. That being said, what are we going to do when AI gets better and can do all that for us?

    On the bright side, you did have to give it a lot of details (starfish, kohlrabi, dragon) and sometimes coming up with ideas is the hardest part!

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    • NGS, you’re right of course. AI will learn to mimic human emotions and thoughts and conversational cadences, then what? Whether it can totally replace human writers remains to be seen.

      I did have fun deciding which items to tell ChatGPT to use. I tried to be as random as possible, but not too weird.

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  47. The story was cute but meh, the second to the last paragraph was so uninteresting and vague. I believe a human would have put more details into it and not make it so general. I am concerned about AI taking over many people’s jobs. Predictions are 300 million humans will be displaced worldwide. I also read that criminals are using AI to copy people’s voices and use the artificial voice on phone calls to extort money.

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  48. I had no idea this was a thing – getting a story to be written by AI. I’m not overly impressed with the story, but it is SO funny to me, because I thought the same thing: WHY DOES THE KOHLRABI NOT HAVE A NAME? I don’t want to be Stella or Daisy. I’m not worried about replaced, but maybe we should all be worried about the caliber of stories available to future generations. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ernie, I’d read that you could get AI to tell you a story so I asked for one. Granted it’s not the best story ever, and like you said and I agree, we should maybe worry about the caliber of the stories future generations read.

      I don’t know why the kohlrabi isn’t given a name. That bothered me to no end. Deb suggested we call him Kenny Kohlrabi and I like that. Of course, Deb is a human so she’d think in terms of names, unlike ChatGPT.

      Like

    • Maggie, I took it to be a bedtime story. It certainly was a bit dull, easily lulling someone to sleep. I am slightly bitter about the kohlrabi not having a name… but if it’s going to be served for dinner then maybe it’s best that it doesn’t have a name. 🙄

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  51. It’s lame. Even if one could get past the no name kohlrabi living under the ocean, it’s then a big leap to the dragon not being fire-breathing and cutting the ropes with her breath. Stella is definitely overused already in the kids’ genre.
    Anyway, NO were near as funny as you. In fact, it’s not funny at all. You’ve got this chat bot thing on the run in that department. So keep on writing because you definitely aren’t insignificant.
    Bernie

    Liked by 1 person

    • Bernie, thanks for the compliments. I don’t really think I’m insignificant and this story could be proof positive. I rather liked Stella but she seems to be controversial among the commenters here. You raise a great point about why didn’t Daisy burn the ropes to free the fish. I suppose we should be happy that at least Daisy didn’t roast the kohlrabi for dinner. 😉

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  52. I was two sentences in before I checked out. Bad writing is bad writing, although I suppose it could be used as a negative example. I’ll grant you that it’s not the sort of story I’d read even if Faulkner himself had constructed it, but I would have checked out on him just as fast.

    For a different sort of story, did you happen to watch Scott Pelley’s Sixty Minutes interview with Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, last weekend? In the midst of a very interesting discussion, Pichai mentioned that one of the new programs — I think it was ChatGPT — had been asked to write a historical essay of some number of words. It did, and it was high-school passable, with footnotes referencing five books that had been used as resources. The problem? None of those five books exist. Whoopsie!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda, I didn’t see that interview but illuminating, isn’t it? There’s your ability to write and then there’s the issue of the authenticity of the sources. Having been liberally and artfully educated I can do both, but ChatGPT cannot! I feel vindicated.

      Liked by 1 person

    • puneybones, I hope you’re right about AI’s inability to replace the humanity in writing. Of course this example isn’t much, but there’s always tomorrow… I say ominously. 🤔

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  56. Ally, I have to admit that’s the first AI Chat written thing I’ve ever read. Is it typical of such things? I found it cute, but predictable, kind of like an old Disney movie. As for not naming the kolerabi (something I’m not even familiar with?), maybe it’s like the new Barbie movie meme slogan, “She’s everything, he’s just Ken?”

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    • Joni, I’ve read examples of AI writing that is more like newspaper reporting, but nothing creative like this story. That’s why I wanted to try this “tell me a story” approach to it. I agree this story is just as predictable as an old Disney movie.

      I didn’t know the tagline for the new Barbie movie, but you’ve made me laugh with it– and how it fits into the analysis of this story. Perfect

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    • Judy, well, I’m more like you, my dinosaur friend, than not. I asked for this AI story on a whim, not expecting much. And while I got a complete little story I don’t know that I’ll ever use ChatGPT again. ‘Twas an experiment, but one that started a conversation so YAY!

      Like

    • Barbara, that’s exactly what happened. I think stumped ChatGPT by using an obscure vegetable as one of my terms. As a few commenters have said if the dragon wanted, Daisy could eat the kohlrabi. But I think that’d be just plain mean!

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  60. I’m late to the party as always in Bean-Land, but here goes.
    AI is useful as a **tool**, what concerns me is the slide into mindlessly ‘letting the AI do the work’ attitude that we humans can easily and even unknowingly do…
    This has already been happening in the music world. Much of what the public hears in commercial music is ‘computer generated’ using virtual instruments that sound quite close to the real thing. Less expensive and time consuming to produce quick and dirty ditties…anyway that’s another beef for another day. AI has its place, but we have to be vigilant in keeping it in its place!!!!
    😎

    Liked by 1 person

    • Laura, Zen-Den says the same thing as you about AI in that it’s a tool, nothing more and we must remember that. I didn’t know about AI in the music industry but it makes sense that it’d show up there. I can understand why you are wary of it. I am too.

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  62. I liked the simple story. As soon as it I read that it started with “Once upon a time”, I knew it was going to be very simple, because that’s how my parents usually started their bedtime story-telling to us. A very simple and short story with a simple lesson.

    I don’t think this is the best AI has to offer. Maybe it depends on how the question is asked? I have never used ChatGPT but my brother was extolling its virtues a few months ago when we had a family party. I will probably “play” with it sometime to see for myself! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • M, I felt the same way as you when I saw the first few words of the story, it was nice. Nothing more than that. I imagine you’re right that if I’d asked for the story using different prompts it would have had more depth. It was fun to try this, on a whim really. I don’t know how else I’d use AI so my fun may be over. But who knows, another whim might come to me. 🤔

      Like

    • Kate, I don’t know that I think kohlrabi edges are all that sharp, more like pointy, BUT if ChatGPT says it is so, then it must be so. From this story I’ve learned that asking AI for creative writing might not be its strength.

      Like

  65. Okay, first of all, even specifying that a Kohlrabi had to be one of the characters is genius. Huge kudos to you for your non-AI brain in coming up with that one, Ally. The story is cute, and while I’d like to think I could write a better one, fiction has never been a strength of mine. So maybe not. But, yes, I do worry about AI because I fear it’ll make what is already an intellectually lazy civilization even more so. – Marty

    Liked by 2 people

    • Marty, I’m flattered. I’d love to tell you I had a logical reason for picking a kohlrabi but I didn’t. It was whimsy, nothing more, nothing less. And it would seem that by choosing that weird vegetable I confused ChatGPT enough that it forgot to name the kohlrabi– proving something.

      I bet you could write a better fiction story than this one. I believe everyone who has commented here could do that, but no one could do it as quickly as ChatGPT. Which leads to the lazy part you mention. I hear ‘ya, and wonder too.

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  66. Yikes. I wanted to not like the story, but it was cute. Perhaps ready for Disney animation. But did you ask the site for a story for young readers? I wonder if you’d ask for an adult book, what it would have come up with. But really, I don’t want to know. May our human imaginations never be shadowed, or overshadowed, by AI.

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    • Pam, I’d no idea what to expect and this little story was better than what I anticipated. I didn’t ask the AI to write for any particular age level or reading ability merely saying: “tell me a story about a starfish, a kohlrabi, and a dragon.” I don’t know what would happen if I asked for an adult version of this story. Would it be tedious, clever, or x-rated? Not going to ask, not going to find out.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Awakening Wonders, I don’t see me needing ChatGPT for much of anything either, but I was curious so I tried this experiment. Now I know how it works and got a blog post out of it, so it’s all good. 😊

      Liked by 1 person

  68. This story could totally be published as a children’s book, and that is frightening. I, too, noticed the kohlrabi’s lack of name and wondered about that. This Chatgpt thing makes me nervous. It’s impressive it was able to come up with that story quickly.

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  69. When I see a program that can create stories or artwork with my sense of skewed humor, then I’ll believe that humanity is doomed. Well, more doomed than it is with my skewed sense of humor published on a blog for 11 years…

    Liked by 1 person

    • evilsquirrel13, I see your point. You do have a sense of humor like no one else’s. Using your reasoning + seeing this ChatGPT’s story, I think humanity is safe for a long time too.

      Like

  70. What do you think of the story? Do you want to be Stella the starfish when you grow up? The story was sweet, but too predictable and patterned. I think you write better stories, Ally, you’re genuine and very creative. I’ve already grown up, it may be too late for me to be a Stella 😂

    Could you write a better story? And if so, how long would it take you to write and edit it? Then create artwork for it? I guess I could with the help of ChatGPT, And I would likely use my own photos. 🤣

    Are you concerned about Artificial Intelligence creeping into the world of writers and displacing humans? Yes, absolutely concerned – every person that experiments with ChatGPT as it is, is building it. Try asking it to write your story again, use the same original characters, plus add another character, and see what happens. 🤔

    Liked by 1 person

    • Shelley, I’ve not tried to write a story to best this one. While I probably could, I don’t want to. I fear I’d do a disservice to Stella who I still think I have the potential of being when I grow up.

      However IF I ever did write the story I’d want to use your photos, with your permission of course.

      My understanding is that if I asked again using the same query I’d get a different story. I haven’t done that, nor do I plan to. I don’t want to help AI learn anything because I’m an ornery human being. 😏

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  71. Personally, I didn’t care for the story…I thought it was too cliched. But that being said, I do think the time is coming when AI will be writing most, if not all, of our stories. And making most of our decisions for us too.

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  72. You know which side of the fence I’m on when it comes to AI. And as a professional writer whose employer is embracing ChatGPT as a supplementary tool, I can’t help but be a little concerned. My take: there’s a chance AI could make writers an endangered species, but at the very least, there will be plenty of room for editors to clean up the AI writing. I’ve done that for a couple of projects at work recently and it’s actually pretty rewarding, so I suspect I’ll be just fine in the long run regardless of what happens.

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    • Mark, I thought of you as I wrote this. I know that as a professional writer you have concerns, but I am interested in how you overcome AI’s take on things. It’s so weird, this juxtaposition we find ourselves in, and I’m intrigued. I’ve no predictions about the future but I’m closely monitoring it. Considering how annoying spellcheck is I’m not convinced AI will take over the writing profession.

      Like

    • Belladonna, I know that AI has been around a while and used in many areas: writing, video, music. But if this story is any indication, then we don’t have much to worry about at the moment.

      Like

    • Markus + Micah, I agree that ChatGPT will be useful in certain situations. Keeping how-to websites up-to-date is one place where it could be invaluable, but I don’t see it as being creative. I don’t worry about AI any more than I do anything computer based. It’s a tool, use it wisely.

      Like

  75. I didn’t want to like the story, but I did. It was cute and made me smile. As a blogger, I don’t worry so much about AI – it can’t replace me as far as detailing my thoughts, travels, etc. As a fiction writer who already struggles with marketing, it’s tempting to just throw in the towel. It’s hard enough as it is to be seen over the “writers” who game the system; AI will just make it easier for more unscrupulous people to do so.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda, I liked the story, too. I had zero expectations about it. And it did appear quickly. I agree that when it comes to personal blogging AI isn’t a threat, but like you said when it comes to a way to game the system there’s potential for wrongdoing. No doubt about that.

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  76. Wow -ChatGPT could corner the market for children’s literature Ally. Plug in a few words, spit out a story, heck … spit out a whole series about the adorable Stella the Starfish. Yes, I like Stella too. I agree that kohlrabi deserves a moniker – Ken works. I know you can do ChatGPT in WP, but I’ve not tried it yet, but since there are stock images we can use in WP, could ChatGPT also cull the images and work them into the story/post? I think if I were a professional writer I’d be a little worried, just as people who work on the line know that robots may one day replace them, or cashiers stew over the increased use of self-scan checkouts that may eliminate their jobs. As I am basically a niche blogger, I won’t worry as most of my posts are recreating excursions with a narrative and photos. But, for bloggers who sometimes have writer’s block yet try to adhere to a regular posting schedule, AI/ChatGPT may be the way to go. (Who’d a thunk it?)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Linda, I’m glad you’re on Team Stella, I’ve been surprised by the commenters who don’t like her– as if she’s not real. 😉

      I don’t know about using ChatGPT in WP. I downloaded an app for my iPad and used it that way. I also know nothing about WP’s stock images because I do my best to be original beyond the bounds of WP.

      My point, belabored as it is, is that I don’t know if you could use AI in WP to write a passable blog post for your personal blog hoping that the post would seem like your writing. A fascinating yet disturbing thought, though.

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      • I haven’t tried ChatGPT yet, nor have I accessed the stock photos library in WP either. I don’t remember how I read about those photos – perhaps the blog “Hugh’s News and Views”. Early in my blogging days I didn’t know about Creative Commons and sites like Pixabay, so I bought images at Dollar Photo (for a dollar apiece). I do use Pixabay and wish I’d known about it sooner.

        I would like to think we would be able to tell if fellow bloggers had ChatGPT ghost writing for them, but maybe not. I understand that AI voices created to mimic voices we recognize, like political figures, may be potentially used in political campaign ads slamming the opponent. This will be dangerous in the 2024 election because candidates may deny having said something, only for the opponent to produce audio that is effectively not the real deal. Also a disturbing thought.

        Liked by 1 person

        • It’s funny you’d mention Hugh’s blog. His is the sort of informational blog that ChatGPT could easily mimic and/or replace. And who’d know the better? That’s where my mind goes with AI when it comes to blogging, not with idiosyncratic personal blogs like ours, but with ones written by people who tell you how to do things.

          I agree about how AI is going to mess with the next presidential election– as if we need more chaos. It’s going to difficult to know what to believe.

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          • You have a point about Hugh and anyone who writes a DIY blog or book. I prefer watching a YouTube video first before wading through a complicated article, especially when it relates to computer issues. So essentially, plug in some criteria and ChatGPT spits out a how-to-do-anything article.

            The next presidential election will be a rocky ride without AI’s interference.

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    • margaret21, thanks for the link. I read *your* novel and dear me, I have NO DOUBT that you could write something better. Still it was a fun experiment, as was the little story I got from ChatGPT. I agree with you that as a blogger I don’t feel personally threatened by AI. And thanks again for stopping by and joining in.

      Liked by 1 person

    • The Travel Architect, I agree with your assessment of the story and your pragmatic approach to worry about AI. I liked the story for what it was, especially Stella the starfish. I also know that I can only fret over so many things and remain sane, so I’ll be aware of AI and that’s about it.

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  79. This story is not bad. It makes sense, has a beginning, middle and end. I did feel that is was quite descriptive, telling as opposed to showing for most part. as you mentioned at the end, there may be a lack of understanding about human relationships.

    I am so conflicted about ChatGPT. On one hand, it can write for us and write fairly well. On the other hand, there is nothing like a person writing from the heart. I have had people showing me stories ChatGPT wrote and saying how good it is, and they alluded that writers and writing would be obsolete at some point. I do think there is a place for such technology if it were to be able to report facts objectively. At the end of the day, I think nothing can replace creativity from within.

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    • Mabel, considering I had no idea what to expect when I asked ChatGPT for a story, I thought The Tale of the Ocean Heroes was good… enough. I mean, I liked Stella, I cannot lie.

      I agree with you that only human beings can write with creativity and heart, while AI pretty much compiles information then generates something wordy. What it generates may be accurate and informative, and that’s great, but it’s not compelling. And that is what I see to be its Achille’s Heel.

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  81. While it is a good story (sweet characters, aside from poor Kenneth not getting a name) but there is something about real humans writing their personal feelings.
    I think you and I will be safe in our blogging life. 😜😳

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  82. The story is sweet and loving but it lacks the human emotions. I think when we write , we tend to put our emotions , they are at times raw and hence it is shown in our emotions. Maybe if you wouldn’t have mentioned I would have considered this as a work of some primary student preparing for story writing activity.

    Now talking about Stella, she is sweet and kind but I would rather like to have someone with more human emotions. Someone who is like “Dora , the explorer”.

    Like

    • Kanchan Balodi, you nailed the problem with the AI story, it lacks any human emotion. I had no idea what to expect when I asked ChatGPT for it, so I was pleasantly surprised BUT it could be a better story with some feelings in it. And by giving the kohlrabi a name. That bugs me.

      Good point about Dora. I like her better than Stella too– but don’t tell Stella, ok?

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  83. I wondered, too, why the kohlrabi wasn’t given a name. Major oversight there.

    I agree with you that the story seems sweet and positive, a children’s story encouraging good relationships and teamwork. I also believe it shows how AI could replace writers or, at least, create a literature written more by machines than by humans.

    It just seems that whenever a company, for example, a publishing company, has an opportunity to cut costs, it will do so. Writers and editors occasionally go on strike because of layoffs and/or lousy wages and work environments. AI would probably be a breath of fresh air for some publishers.

    Some writers have been accused and found guilty of plagiarism; what’s to stop them from pushing their AI-generated books on an unsuspecting public? The writer or publishing company could be honest and acknowledge the role AI played in their creation, but I doubt that they would, especially if they are confident they wouldn’t get caught.

    I’ve read on Twitter that some writers are using AI to help “jumpstart” their writing. While a lot of writers use writing prompts and games as tools to spark a story or a poem, I fear that AI would become a crutch, not a tool.

    The other thing about AI is, is that it is only “as good” as the data (or stories) that people put into it. Much like when I worked with public health data: bad or incomplete data led to incomplete or incorrect data results. The more people that use ChatGPT, the more it will “learn” to return satisfactory results (if I understand the technology). But is that what we want? If I used a knitting machine to knit a sweater, but let you believe that I had knitted it by hand with two needles, would I be lying? I would be lying by omission, but too many people seem to think that is fair.

    Well, Ally, thank you for another provocative blog post! I did not realize I had so many thoughts about ChatGPT/AI … lol.

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    • Marie, sadly I believe you are right: “AI would probably be a breath of fresh air for some publishers.” And therein is the horror of it for writers.

      Excellent example of knitting, and how you’d be telling the truth, but not exactly the truth. Lying by omission could be the next worldwide conversation when AI becomes more mainstream– or should I say accepted?

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      • “Lying by omission could be the next worldwide conversation”: definitely when you think about how people already parse lying … as in journalists using euphemisms such as “He fabricated an Ivy League education” instead of “He lied about having an Ivy League education.” That said, while I’m not interested in exploring AI, I realize that it’s a force to be reckoned with. Better to keep it in the open like you and many others are doing rather than ignoring it like I am. Being wilfully ignorant is not a superpower 🙂

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        • You’re right about how lying is parsed now, instead of stating the truth plainly. Why is saying “HE LIED” so difficult? I can see lots of ways in which AI can, and will be, misused but I can’t stop it, so I’ll watch it. Like you said, being willfully ignorant is not a good idea.

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  84. Writing us an art . Sure AI can produce a story but a good story needs to be written by someone who can write well and reflect human emotions. A machine can not and will never do that

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  85. HA! (Just making a quick dash through Blogland) I was also wondering about how the CHATS would change WP and other platforms – so easy..easier than tweets even! (Pictures always take me as long as writing posts in order to find the perfect-ish match)
    AI is quite a savant toddler right now…wonder if you can put in a target audience age/reading skill level/topic expertise level. It makes a difference in written pieces’ success/appeal. (Of course in a few years this may be an “advanced level” reading and comprehension)
    Ai is “learning humor”…supposedly, but still pretty lame as it doesn’t really comprehend without any context from actual human life/behavior…when it achieves that, we’ll probably be in real trouble…..you know what they say about some people who joke but their actual meaning/thoughts are quite the opposite.
    Onward…let’s make it to the fog for safety HAHA

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    • philmouse, I was surprised by how quickly ChatGPT spit out a story that, like you said, does seem to have been written by a savant toddler. A great description, btw. I guess I could have specified a reading level for the story, but I was curious to see what I’d get by asking a simple request for a story.

      As for AI learning humor, I’ll believe that when I see it for realies. Considering how many human beings have little or no sense of humor it’s going to take a loooong time for AI to catch onto how to be funny… on purpose.

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    • Debasis, I hope you’re right and will admit I feel the same way. AI may be able to write great code or create realistic photos, but when it comes to stories I think it falls flat.

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  88. Well now I see what I’ll be thinking about this weekend. It reminded me of the picture books I read my kids when they were young. Simple, straightforward, likable characters (as well as two dimensional villains) that were easy to grasp. AI might be able to contribute to that genre but I still think it’s missing something brought by the complexities of a human mind.

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