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.