Will AI put authors out of work?

With the advent of ChatGPT and countless other AI tools, I constantly wonder what jobs and industries are ripe for disruption. I have heard that AI will not put someone out of work, but a person using AI could put someone out of work. That makes logical sense and would be a less frightening scenario. But there are plenty of opinions and blurred lines on the matter for sure…only the future will tell.

I did play around with ChatGPT, specifically, asking it to write scripts for some of my favorite shows. The output was decent, considering it came from a machine in a matter of seconds. Yet, it did lack the depth and nuances of the original shows. That is, it mimicked the feel of the show but did not truly recreate the show. Sure, we’d have to see it performed and played out as an actual show to truly judge; however, it just did not resonate.

Then, I just asked ChatGPT point blank: Will AI put authors out of work? Its response was, essentially, no. It stated that AI lacks the creativity that is innate to humans and cannot replicate it in a way that readers would enjoy even though AI can certainly help with writing (e.g., editing, building an outline, helping with research). I did appreciate the self-awareness, recognizing where it falls short. On the surface, I agreed with its response, but I may be biased as a new author trying to break out….(ok, I definitely am biased). I’m not overly worried for now at least. Some of the best writing comes from the life experiences through which we grow and learn. At this time, I don’t see AI experiencing life the way we do, which is a key ingredient for great storytelling.

What Can We Learn from Sci-Fi Novels?

Stories of science fiction range from the outlandish and imaginary to the concrete and believable. Across this spectrum, you will find stories for just about anyone. There are stories with worlds built from scratch, providing a rich exit from the world in which we live. And there are stories grounded in modern day science that sharply engage readers, leaving them purposely uncertain of where plausibility ends and fiction begins.

Science is intricate to our lives, including our daily activities. Is there anything in which we can engage that cannot be explained by science? We may think there is but it’s likely because we just have not heard the pertinent concepts and theories. The gap between the ideas in scientific journals, university research projects, etc. and the everyday person is often too far. My undergrad is in physics, but I’m still confounded as I read an article on dark matter or black holes, let alone an article on a subject I never studied.

Hard sci-fi novels (those that are “less fiction”) distill these complicated topics into reachable stories, metaphorical characters, and rich themes. In doing so, we can bridge these gaps, or at least improve our perspective, to the concepts and theories at the core. The use of analogies is key to getting an audience to effectively understand complex topics. A good sci-fi novel makes use of this method, leaving the reader with an entertaining story that lingers on through a slightly better understanding of how and why our world (and universe) behaves the way it does.

What are Launching Thoughts?

Starting an author website is just a first step. I want to, also, create a conduit of updates, insights, and more. Something that pertains to the who/what/when/where/why/how of writing, including the book I’ll (self) publish this fall. Even though Launching Thoughts itself boils down to just a blog, I didn’t want to call it that (it’s got no pizzazz). But I had to ask myself what the point of my “blog” would be. Why take the time to write anything, and why should anyone take the time to even read it?

I arrived at two answers.

First, it is a way for me to keep on track. I mean, I can write notes all day long and leave them around the house, but nobody really knows if I followed through or not. After spending years on the book, I knew it could collect digital dust should I never really hold myself to a goal. This meant putting aside time to do the less exciting things (e.g., editing, submitting query letter after letter to prospective agents…more on this in future Launching Thoughts). If I openly share these details and goals, then I’d have a little more fire under me.

Second, Launching Thoughts are just that – thoughts that are meant to launch a reader. Whether it be motivation to write your own book, create your own website, take your hobby to its next step, or *shameless plug alert* read my book, it should provide something of value to the reader in return for their time and focus. Just for my publishing research alone, I’ve read and leveraged the free advice and insights from several authors and agents. If nothing else, I can return the favor to the larger community.

Thanks for your time and support. Looking forward to sharing more Launching Thoughts with you.

Early work…

There is a writer in all of us. The major hurdle is just figuring what to write about. An earlier work came to me as a broke college student trying to find the right gift for his mom’s 50th birthday. Here’s to many more works ahead, but for now, I’d like to share this early work with you all. It’s a poem delivered several years ago this day, and perhaps it can provide further comfort to anyone hitting a major age milestone.

Turning Fifty…Around the Galaxy

Today my dear Mom turned fifty,

Which she does not find quite nifty.

So, I must undermine the terror of this number

By showing conversions that will ease her slumber.

Here on Earth, my sweet mother is fifty,

But this is only one planet you see.

Place her on Jupiter and she’s just four years old,

The carefree age of a preschooler I am told.

But wait, it certainly gets much better

Because on Mars she’ll be unfettered.

On this planet, my mom will be lost in bliss.

Wouldn’t you be at the age of twenty-six?

If you feel brave enough to venture,

Pluto is our next planet to measure.

With a simple toy, she’ll find loads of fun

Like all humans under the age of one.

By now, I certainly hope my mom can see

That age should mean nothing to both her and me.

However, what truly matters

Is that she’s the one that gave birth to me.

A gift I hope I can repay

With love larger than any galaxy.