A recent post claims that the Amazon Marketplace is choked with AI-written literature, which spells potential disaster for human writers (like us here at Wealth of Geeks!). In a growing SNAFU, AI's reach into various fields of expertise is now threatening humans who write for a living.
Mysterious Five-Star Reviews
What's most unnerving is how many titles in the article's list are littered with mysterious five-star reviews. Moreover, Amazon's AI books are on surprisingly niche topics under suspicious bylines.
These faceless, bogusly-named titles are just part of AI's worrying chokehold over many other media formats. Artists, recording artists, and software engineers are concerned about the implications.
A Growing Concern
With AI paintings also threatening the art world, even heritage artists aren't safe. A collection of Edward Hopper-inspired AI artwork now sits at the top of a Google search. All the ‘paintings' are one-off pieces, not by the artist himself.
Furthermore, with AI's ability to grow exponentially, it is only a matter of time before a digital misinformation crisis hits the Internet. For example, we could see AI-driven web traffic getting into a spiral of copied-then-recopied information, sparking a research and verification black hole.
Misinformation on Tap
In one month alone, a prominent news credibility agency found almost 50 websites generating all their content using AI software. Publishers are scrambling to deal with this new surge in AI competition, with many content sites unwilling to disclose their AI usage. Other websites are more forthcoming.
Faceless Competition
AI's ability to mimic online books means authors now have competition for even niche market writers. Unless something is done soon, the outlook for web-based content or intellectual property rights looks bleak.
Here is what people are saying online in a recent discussion — or is AI tricking us into believing people are talking about it? You decide!
Not All Doom and Gloom
One person thinks we “can still be creative while co-creating with AI tools,” but it depends on who uses it. Of course, AI software can be a helpful assistant in the right hands. However, we know how the world works. The same contributor also warns, “It is likely to be abused in the form of mass production without commensurate human engagement.”
That Human Touch?
In an unnerving thread, one thread member recalls seeing a recent AI artwork imageboard. When another user mentioned how an AI artist's work seemed inhuman and soulless, the outcome was astonishing. “One user got the brilliant idea of adding “soulful” to the tags in the prompt, and the images generated suddenly had more of a human touch to them,” the contributor says.
They Aren't Even Books!
“I will never buy an AI-generated ebook that some dope assembled in five minutes,” declares a defiant Internet user. This thread member wants books about the human experience — not books artificial intelligence writes about the human experience.
Stories on Demand?
“The potential for this is generating stories with exactly the genre and premise you want on-demand,” is the following interesting comment. However, the idea you can just create a heartfelt, deep narrative in seconds is silly. “This is so far off from being a reality I don't think people realize it, “retorts another who doesn't believe a machine can produce “novel, unique, creative stories that are actually interesting.”
Waste of Time
Reading a good novel makes life enjoyable for many. “Man, it takes a lot of effort just to read a good book,” claims one bookworm. “I can't see myself wasting time on one that an AI wrote poorly.” They make a good point. If you are impressed by an AI-generated narrative that lacks the finesse and gentle, humane touch of a life's work, you probably don't deserve a good book.
Reality Bites Hard
Spare a thought for those writers who put their heart and soul into a piece of work only to discover that any AI can rip it off. “This makes me really sad,” says one scribe. “I've been working on a novel for over 13 years … what a time to release (it).”
You must feel bad for this person, though surely 13 years' of creativity will beat 13 seconds of AI work.
The Free Market
Where others see disaster, there are always those who will seek opportunity — this contributor is happy about the new software. “I dropped three (books) myself,” says the thread's only AI champion. “Thanks, AI.”
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.