The End of the World according to AI Doomsayers

Controversial Topic: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Writing

Description of the controversial new story

Reported in CNET on September 7, 2024, a news story by Palmer notes that the nearly 25-year-old global novel-writing challenge called, “NaNoWriMo” (e.g., National Novel Writing Month) is currently embroiled in a controversy over its decision to allow artificial intelligence in its competition and its new sponsorship by a commercial AI developer, ProWritingAid. The organization encourages participants to write a 50,000-word novel in November of each year, but it recently stated it does not endorse nor condemn any writing method, including the use of AI. For instance, according to Palmer’s report, the controversy erupted when NaNoWriMo posted a message concerning their position on AI-assistive writing technologies that assumed a neutral position for contributions to its annual contest.

Not surprisingly, this decision and the corresponding position taken by NaNoWriMo sparked debate, with some viewing it as potentially harmful to writers. Although this decision appears benign on its face, the controversy was exacerbated when an AI-powered writing tool company was revealed as a corporate sponsor, resulting in a board member’s resignation. The sponsor claims they were unaware of NaNoWriMo's AI statement and disagrees with its sentiment. In response to criticism, NaNoWriMo has updated its statement, acknowledging concerns about unethical AI practices while maintaining that blanket condemnation of the technology could be problematic (Palmer, 2024). The situation with NaNoWriMo reflects broader discussions in creative industries about AI’s role and impact on human creativity as discussed further below.

Detailed and critical analysis of the news story

On the one hand, the reaction to NaNoWriMo’s decision about AI suggests some writers are scared; these neo-Luddites are rightfully concerned that AI will take their cushy jobs they have worked so long to secure. On the other hand, though, some other writing assistive technologies have also taken time to catch on. For instance, Mark Twain was the first author to use a typewriter to prepare a manuscript in 1883, even though these devices had been commercially available for nearly a quarter century and it was not until the early 1920s before typewriters were in widespread use (The End, 2017).

Likewise, it is reasonable to suggest that some authors in the past resisted any new technological substitutes for their cherished quill pens, even when fountain and then ballpoint pens were invented which made writing much easier. In other words, writers, like professionals in any industry, have their favorite comfort zones and are wont to make changes with the newfangled AI -- and they are naturally scared of losing their jobs. Perhaps many if not most of the critics about NaNoWriMo’s decision feel that writers must suffer as part of the creative process by laboriously hammering out their missives, and that using a word processor is as far as they are willing to concede. Antiquarian mathematicians who performed every calculation might similarly violently resist calculators and (shudder) spreadsheets since these automate their former esoteric domains.

Clearly, there is much involved in this controversy that is not readily apparent to casual readers, but it is possible to discern these and some other underlying messages in this news story. For example, by stating that they neither explicitly support nor condemn any approach to writing, including AI use, the NaNoWriMo organization appears to have attempted to maintain an open and inclusive environment. The organization’s attempt at neutrality, though, obviously backfired since it was perceived by some as tacit approval of AI in creative writing, a particularly contentious topic in the literary world at present. Indeed, Hollywood screenwriters recently engaged in a 5-month strike to protest to introduction of AI in their industry (Coyle, 2023).

The AI handwriting is on the wall, so to speak, and it is clear that AI will continue to increase in sophistication, ease of use and popularity among many consumers, including writers of every ilk. Although few writers during Twain’s era even thought about using any other writing medium, the pace of acceptance has increased over the past few decades as the pace of technological innovations has demand people respond in a timely fashion just to remain competitive in the workplace.

Moreover, NaNoWriMo also maintains that any wholesale condemnation of AI as an assistive writing tool could easily ignore “classist and ableist issues” surrounding the technology, a concern that raises important and highly relevant points about accessibility and equity in writing. In fact, the very real potential exists that AI tools could potentially level the playing field for writers who face various physical or economic constraints. These arguments, however, fail to take into account the multiple ethical and creative issues that are involved in the AI calculus which also ignore the legitimate concerns about AI’s impact on the craft of writing and the livelihoods of professional authors.

Unlike pens, typewriters and even the most advanced word processors, though, AI can mimic human writers on a constellation of topics with the merest of prompts. Even more importantly, AI does all of this in a few seconds, and even thought the technologies are still not perfect, they are still absolutely great! This means that AI threatens to essentially transform the writing profession into one of prompt engineering, and AI generative technologies are still in their relative infancy. The same trends are taking place with AI generated images, with powerful tools such as OpenArt’s image generator which creates realistic, photograph quality pictures based on users’ detailed descriptions.

Where will it all end? If people listen to doomsayers such as Elon Musk, the sky is already falling and the big pieces are going to hit any day now. Likewise, prior to his death in 2018, Stephen Hawking cautioned that AI may eventually replace humans in the workplace and fundamentally transform civilization in the process. In fact, even Sam Alman, the CEO of OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, warns that AI actually represents yet another existential threat loomed on the horizon for people to worry about every day (Humans could be wiped out by robots, AI pioneers warn, 2023).

The threat posed by the AI boogeyman seemed sufficiently concerning to OpenAI’s board of directors that they fired Altman and hired Emmet Shear despite investors’ objections. This move was widely regarded as a reluctant concession on the part of OpenAI’s top leadership team concerning the actual existential threat that AI represents for humankind within the foreseeable future and the need to replace Altman who was loudly trumpeting the end of the world (Vance et al., 2023).