Artificial Intelligence (AI), The Kush in the Writing Industry
Date Published: 30th September, 2024
Publisher: Information and Communications Ministry, EDUSA
By: Kebba S. Juwara ( Final Year English Major, School of Education, University of The Gambia)
It is an open secret, particularly to those in the creative writing industry that the infiltration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking a toll on the industry. Wannabe Essayists, poets and those in similar arts often employ the use of AI to produce their pieces.
Before advancing further, let me make this disclaimer: I am not against the use of AI in ways that are acceptable and honest. However, creative arts such as poetry, is the diamond in the dirt AI can’t find. It can never be acceptable to take a poem produced through AI and claim ownership of it intellectually. This AI infiltration has several consequences. This article will explore few.
Chiefly, the gravest issue about AI is that, it is an insult to one’s God-given intellect. The human intellect is the paragon, the height of God’s own creation. Lowering it inferior, to replace its natural role to a machine(AI) is a graver insult to oneself than accepting slavery.
The human intellect is flexible and dynamic. It can adapt and grow when nurtured towards anything. So the question remains, why would one abandon his/her naturally endowed faculty of reasoning and creativity and pick up a machine to do its job?
In connection, use of AI can consequently lead to the loss of these artistic skills. When used persistently, one would lose his/her ability to produce the sort of art being obtained from AI.
Moreover, use of AI for creative arts is tantamount to intellectual dishonesty. Humans are always prone to seeking recognition. When one acquires a piece of art from AI and claim ownership of such material, and copyright over it, this becomes dishonesty and an unfair competition for those creating the ideas themselves.
In addition, AI in real sense doesn’t produce anything new. It fetches and gather information from tons of sources and stitch them in a way that escapes plagiarism. However, a monkey cannot outrun its crooked tail. Since the idea is not spontaneously generated, the only tag it deserves is, plagiarism.
In conjunction, AI produced poems and articles bear the same style. Those acquainted with AI recognize its production. Admittedly, such a person will never respect the producer of such pieces of art.
My call to those in the creative writing industry, especially my fellow young Gambians, is to desist from using AI to produce poems and articles. A begged water never quenches one’s thirst. If one craves for self-fulfilment, then AI is not the tool for him.
As an Islamic scholar wisely put it: “Nothing will make this generation good other than what made the former generation good.” If we desire the good name and accolades the forerunners got, we must follow their footsteps to greatness. We have to do what it takes to be good creative writers. We must accept to be disciples before craving for apostlehood. We must read to become writers. There are no shortcuts to climbing a palm tree. You must go by the step. So is creative writing, one has to be well-grounded before they can be established and that takes time, effort and persistence – not resorting to Artificial Intelligence.
Article By: Kebba S. Juwara