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For a few years, we have witnessed artificial intelligence (AI) moving from simply processing and automating data to even creating books. With this shift, the question arises: does it mean that an AI can be a co-author of a book? Its ability to produce human-like text is intriguing, giving rise to the question of whether it can be of literature, but this idea is still inconclusive. This blog discusses the changing trends in writing books where AI will be integrated, the advantages, and the ethical issues that will arise.
These AI applications, such as GPT-3 and ChatGPT that tech companies like OpenAI have developed, can still develop articulate and sensible material. Such mediums can produce narration in short stories, conversations, poems, etc. Nevertheless, after the phase when AI was incorporated into writing, for example, drafting emails and fetching summaries of texts, AI was later moved to more interactive content, including books. For example, professionals in their respective areas have started incorporating AI to develop story ideas and structure and even write portions of texts.
There are several practical benefits writers can get from AI technologies, particularly related to the mechanical aspects of writing. First, it can help assist creatives by developing new ideas or editing drafts that have already been written. For instance, if a writer has reached a point where no more words can be penned down, the writer can use AI to create new characters or different endings. This type of assistance can help avoid boredom and get creative.
Moreover, artificial intelligence and translation software can make books available to the public in different languages. What had been a painstakingly long process can now be accomplished swiftly, thanks to the automated tools writers use to promote themselves. Some AI applications can also edit and format works produced by authors to maintain guidelines, proper structure, and language use.
Writing a book certainly deserves mentioning of how AI can be used beneficially. However, one also notes ethical issues in its use. There arises the question of whether a book can ever have an author's undisputed co-writer’s presence, which is Artificial intelligence. Writing is very subjective, and most authors especially tend to incorporate their voices, views, and experiences and emphasize their own. Is it possible for such an intelligent being who does not have emotions or consciousness to help create ideas?
Additionally, it becomes problematic to determine ownership of one’s ideas when AI is intricately involved in the work. For instance, if a part of a book is written by an AI, who gets a copyright for that content? The author? The firm that created the AI? These are some of the questions about legalism in the areas where lawyers from different establishments worldwide are still very active in practicing AI as it continues to grow.
To sum up, although AI can be a great help in creating books and can sometimes be thought of as the co-author, it does not fully replace a human. Telling a narrative is a multifaceted process of rendering thoughts, emotions, and visual experiences and can never be seen as mere word ordering. There are things that AI can do, almost like formatting, but in storytelling, the creativity belongs to human beings.
