Getting Those Words on the Page: AI vs. Human

Writer: Joe Congel

It seems like everywhere I turn lately, AI is being pushed at me. Maybe I’m old-fashioned when it comes to Artificial Intelligence as a way of life, but I prefer to do the work myself. Now, don’t misunderstand. I believe AI can be a good thing in small doses and may even be helpful for certain things. But as a fiction writer, I have a hard time accepting the idea that a book written using AI will somehow be a better story than one written by a human. As a member of the human species, I also believe I can add emotion to my writing in a way that artificial means, regardless of its “intelligence,” cannot match.

AI will never be able to add the blood, sweat, and tears a real live person pours into the written words that give birth to the masterpiece they’ve dreamed of creating. The idea of working hard at your craft to improve over time with each new story is a feeling that is lost if all the stories are produced by typing in a few keywords and asking a machine to compose the manuscript. I get that the “author” may go in and edit, add and/or subtract to try to make it their own work, but it doesn’t change them not taking the time to actually write the story themselves. And if that’s the case, should the author really claim they wrote the finished product?

I know there are authors who have used AI to help create covers for their books. To each his own, but again, I feel that the give and take between a cover artist and the writer will always produce a product that will better express the vision the author is looking for. Additionally, it ensures the cover artist remains employed, utilizing their training to create quality artwork that provides readers with a preview of the story that lies within the pages nestled between the front and back covers.

Understanding that using AI to write a novel isn’t technically plagiarism doesn’t make me feel any better about employing it to write my book. And I get that the content is being written from scratch and not from stealing someone else’s ideas, but for me, it just feels like a shortcut that I’m not willing to take. I want to feel good about the content I produce. Even if it doesn’t turn out great, I can claim it as all mine, produced from my thoughts, emotions, and creativity, with me connecting all the dots to form the story.

I am not asking anyone to agree with my views on this. I know that some might even pushback hard about the use of Artificial Intelligence as it applies to writing… and that’s okay. Just as it’s okay for me to express my thoughts and my opinion on AI when used for writing fiction, I respect anyone who disagrees with me. What’s right for some doesn’t make it right for everyone, and we’re all entitled to our opinions on this subject. The idea that we can think and use our minds to actually form an opinion is one of the many ingredients that make us human. It’s also what makes us different… dare I say better, than the machines.

About the Writer

Joe got his first break in the world of publishing when he illustrated the humorous book, Housetraining Your VCR, A Help Manual for Humans, published by Grapevine Publications back in the early ’90s. Since then, he’s written several short stories that are included in four anthologies and four novels that make up his Razzman Mystery Crime Files PI Series. He’s also written a novel that is part of the Magnolia Bluff multi-author crime series with his second book for that series releasing on July 23, 2024.When Joe’s not writing, you will most likely find him spoiling his three grandchildren.

Writer’s website: joecongelfictionstories.blogspot.com