We've seen quite a bit of backlash to our newest title, Do You Really Want to be a Science Fiction Writer? And everyone of the bad comments has been because of an article titled "Using AI." The reason that people are mad is because they say that we're advocating for the use of AI. These people have obviously not read the book, because that's not what the article is about.
Here's the complete article...you can be the judge...
The Future isn’t what it used to be. – Arthur C. Clarke
In reality, this essay can basically be summed up with just one word…DON’T!
AI is basically theft. All it does is combine works of other authors, without their permission, to supposedly “help” your writing. Theft is never a good thing. Would you want someone stealing pieces of your work that you’ve actually worked hard on? If you wouldn’t want it done to you, don’t do it to others.
Many try to argue that AI makes writing easier. Nobody ever said that artistic creation is supposed to be easy. Many of these people are arguing the whole idea of “work smarter, not harder,” but AI does not make you look smart. Quite the opposite actually. AI writing is easy to pick out, and many of the writers using it are not having the success that they claim. I do find it quite amusing that people think using AI to help with their writing will help make them rich. Believe me, very few authors are getting rich. Most authors have “real” jobs that keep a roof over their heads. Writing, including using AI to write, is not a way to get rich. Writing is done because we enjoy it, because we have things to say, and because we like the challenge of creating. AI takes away from all of this. You aren’t creative if you’re using AI, you’re a thief, and if people want to run you out of the business with pitchforks in hand, then I’m with them!
If you truly want to be a writer, then you have to have at least a little talent to pull it off. If you don’t, then this field is not for you, and believe me, AI is not going to suddenly grant you the talent of an Isaac Asimov or a Connie Willis. You’re just going to be a hack. If you don’t have the talent to be a writer, there’s nothing wrong with that. I couldn’t build a house if I tried, and I couldn’t hold political office. I accept these limitations, and do what I can do. Everyone should follow this advice. Being a writer is not for everyone. If you really don’t have the talent, do something else.
I may sound a bit angry in this article (as opposed to my usual charming self), but people using AI to be “writers” is something that actually pisses me off. Use your talents, and if this isn’t one of your talents, then find something else to do.
In addition to being a hack and a thief if you use AI, this technology is also bad for the environment, and bad for our economy. Some people are seeing an increase in their power bills because of the drain that this ridiculous technology puts on the energy grids, and this exorbitant use of power is bad for the environment.
Some people have argued that using spellcheck or grammar check is a form of AI, but it isn’t. These have existed since before the rise of AI, and if anything, they’ve actually gotten worse over the last few years. Words that actually exist are marked as not being in Word’s dictionary, and good god, the grammar suggestions word processing programs suggest are often horrendous. To be a successful writer, you have to actually know some grammar, and it’s even more important now so that you can know when you need to override your stupid word processing program.
Word processing is not AI. Programs like ChatGPT and such are, and if you have the talent to come up with a story and write it, then you should be able to see that programs like these don’t actually help your writing. If you want to be a true wordsmith, then you’ll see that these programs muddle your words and ruin your story. I’ve never personally tried to use AI, but I have seen works where people obviously have, and it’s clear that they didn’t want to take the time and make the effort to actually write something original, and something that was their own, and this is what writing is supposed to be about.
Students are using AI to help them write papers for school, but the point of school isn’t to write the papers, it’s to learn the material, and you learn the material by writing your own freaking papers. It’s the same with writing fiction of any kind, including science fiction, in order to be a good writer, you actually have to take the time and make the effort. If writing was easy, everyone would be doing it, but writing is a very difficult career or hobby, so if you have to use AI in order to write your stories, you’re either untalented, or you’re shorting yourself on your own abilities. Even if it takes longer to get published by actually writing your own stuff, it’s worth it. You’ve actually accomplished something without stealing from others, and without using a technology that, to be completely honest, is severely lacking.
Also, don’t submit AI created material to editors, especially if their guidelines say no AI. They will almost certainly be able to tell, and you never want to anger a potential editor…remember those long memories!
To close out this essay, I will reiterate what I said earlier, if you want to use AI in your writing, DON’T!
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