Artificial intelligence has become a subject of heated debate. Headlines warn that AI is attacking our jobs and will eclipse our creativity. We often hear that an AI takeover would wipe out humanity or render us non-existent. While some see AI as a threat, others see it as a miracle.
The truth remains somewhere in between, as the line between what is true and what is exaggerated grows thinner with each passing day.
As a writer with more than two decades of experience, I have witnessed technological developments that have changed the way we communicate. I saved files on floppy disks, which Generation Z may never have used. I was also one of those who used a CD burner to copy large files. This device has also become obsolete.
I have witnessed writers transition from typewriters to computers, from libraries to search engines, and from printed manuscripts to cloud-based collaboration. Every innovation was initially met with resistance, but the tools introduced only made the tasks easier and more manageable.
The concerns we have today about AI are akin to how people reacted and reacted to automobiles, the Ford Model T, first introduced by Henry Ford in 1908. For years, horses were the primary means of transportation. Then came the automobile, faster and more efficient. This did not eliminate the need for human decision-making; it changed the way people traveled.
AI presents a similar change for writers, authors, computer programmers, and graphic designers. AI can generate ideas, summarize information, suggest titles, improve grammar, and even help structure a manuscript. These abilities are impressive; however, they do not make the AI a writer. AI should be seen simply as a tool to facilitate thinking and decision-making. This might be difficult to digest for writers reading this article.
A tool does not hold the imagination nor can it process thoughts. He has no memories, emotions or lived experiences. It collects feedback when humans enter their prompts, queries, or questions. Through millions of prompts, AI systems generate cultural understanding or opinions that may differ among globally distributed users pursuing varied perspectives, ideologies, and experiences. However, an AI system cannot explore grief or sadness, celebrate happiness or success, or define emotions or feelings as they are. These qualities belong to humans and are fully reflected in their writings.
Indeed, AI can make the writing process efficient. It can help authors overcome writer’s block, explore alternative perspectives, refine their drafts, and identify weaknesses in their literary work. When used wisely, AI functions like a research assistant or editor. The danger for writers is not AI, but how they use it. It would be unethical if writers used the answers provided by AI without any modification. The answers are only AI suggestions, which should be edited, rewritten and analyzed thoroughly.
When they kneel before AI, risk writers risk abandoning their creativity, logic, research and thinking. Creativity fades when ease is replaced by critical thinking, and originality ceases to exist when automation eclipses curiosity. AI will only surpass human creativity if we give it permission and do not pursue critical thinking.
To succeed in this AI era, writers and authors must find a balance between their opinions, perspectives and experiences, blending them with AI-generated responses. It’s imperative to use AI strategically to help you refine your work without losing your voice or abandoning technology.
The writer is an independent contributor.
Originally published in The News
