A chat on the future of writing

Dear Data,

What role can AI play in writing? Intriguing question indeed, dear Data.

I thought, why not give the answer as part of my chat with ChatGP3, the conversational interface of the open AI tool which could do a host of things, including, presumably, writing.

I asked ChatGP3 the burning question. Can writing be automated?

The answer is revealing by itself.

Not just that, what is clear is that over time, as the model gets more trained, ChatGP3 can respond to more complex queries and undertake more non-linear tasks.

But writing is more than stringing together sentences. Can there be an element of style that is incorporated?

Well, I tried to ask the same question again, this time asking for a funny style. After all, who doesn’t love a shot of humor.

Well, see ChatGP3’s response to that. Robot humor is in. But the crux of it remains the same.

To take it a step further and recalling our conversations on data and storytelling, I asked ChatGP3 to see if a dash of data could be added to make the message more convincing.

Read the response. One survey is included. Is that from 2022 or earlier? What about professionals in non-tech industries? Open questions.

Well, with that I decided to give ChatGP3 some rest and get back to my own musings.

ChatGP3 gave the answer as well. But here’s my take.

Are there elements of writing that can be automated and generated with tools such as ChatGP3? Well, that journey has already started.

Maybe you could create headline copies, standardized answers, hundreds of short articles that companies write for SEO and sometimes for undifferentiated content marketing.

There are some dangers too. How do you test for accuracy? How do you ensure the current and next generation of learners do not forget writing as a core skill of self-expression? Those are answers we need to evolve.

But the true originality of writing is in the author’s voice. In the sheer creativity of their plotting, their characterization, their language. In the indepth research they conduct to create credible narratives. In the way data is triangulated and presented to showcase real insights. In the way in which human elements of storytelling are incorporated in the narrative.

My bet is that as the simpler forms of writing get automated, this higher level of writing, which only the human brain is capable of, will command an even higher premium.

And that’s good for people who believe in the true power of writing. What’s more, ChatGP3 agrees.

That’s it for now. Have to get back to crafting some messy, human dialogues now.

Love,

Story