Writers have every right to fear the introduction of AI into the creative process that constitutes their only moral and material bread and butter. I’ve discussed this topic in my speculative stories and novels, and I believe this fear is very legitimate—and it’s only just beginning. It’s not only writers who face this threat; AI will eventually infiltrate all industries, including those we think humans will always dominate, like medicine and engineering. AI is poised to offer fast and efficient solutions to a range of processes and problems.
A writer without a story is not a writer. If a machine can produce a full story, edited and polished, in mere minutes (or whatever time it takes AI to create something publishable), the slower pace of human creativity may no longer work in the favor of human writers. What is the ultimate solution to this conundrum? I don’t think there is one. But if you’re a writer who loves writing and does it for reasons that are right for you, you must keep going.
Will writing guarantee you a livelihood or a place in the literary canon? Maybe, maybe not. The internet has given writers tools to publish without traditional gatekeepers, like editors, but even now, the writing and publishing industries continue to evolve. AI does pose a threat—there will always be people looking for shortcuts or quick profits, and AI might seem like a dream come true for them. However, I believe these people are not true writers; they are entrepreneurs.
AI isn’t all bad. It has many benefits and can make the writing process smoother, especially when it comes to finding synonyms, answering linguistic or factual questions, or conducting research. In fact, search engines like Google and Bing already use AI to provide more relevant results. AI, in itself, is just a tool—someone can use it to create and prosper, while another might use it to steal or cause harm. For now, this view might suffice, but I believe the future will bring more questions and dilemmas regarding AI’s role in writing. As with everything else, we welcome new tools with a mix of excitement and skepticism, sometimes condemning them, then moving on to the next. I encourage everyone to remain positive and take pride in what they write. What you create, with all your human slowness, flaws, and imperfections, is unique and wonderful—and no machine can ever replicate that.