Digital Storytelling

Hello, I am Yuhang, and I am from Jiangsu, China. I am currently studying at the Department of Media and Communication in Monash. As an enthusiast in understanding and exploring the world of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on media, I further wish to specialize in Screen Study. Though as a child I have always aspired to be an automotive engineer, my recent passion lies in media. I wish to become a director in future and turn my passion into a career. As a passionate explorer, I am also fond of travelling to new places, especially mountains.

Balancing Popularity and Data Privacy

With the advancement in technology, digital storytelling is gradually gaining popularity in the form of AI (Artificial Intelligence)-written films and game narratives, thereby replacing human authors. With the emergence of virtual assistants, which include Siri, Cortana, and google assistant, there has also been considerable debate and concern over how AI is storing human data and the ways in which they might be used in future (Thorne 2020).

A Journey from ELIZA to Virtual Assistants and Beyond

Be it Ross Goodwin and Oscar Sharp’s AI screenwriter or Botnik Studios, the gradual pervasion of digital storytelling with the help of AI is evident. However, though this might look like a sudden innovation in technology, this has a long history. AI writing can actually be traced back to the 1960s, with the development of natural language processors. The discovery of ELIZA by Joseph Weizenbaum can be considered to be one of the best examples where the bot could engage its users by rephrasing or gauging input questions (Thorne 2020). Naturally, the ability of AI to read human minds is not new. However, with rapid technological development, this phenomenon has taken a more diverse shape and has been intricately integrated into our everyday lives. Starting from recording one’s preferences to monitoring our routines, virtual assistants like Siri have become a part and parcel of their lives. Though whether such assistance can be seen as an intrusion into human lives and a mode of surveillance opens up the scope for debate, the power of artificial intelligence to record one’s life and reflect upon human behaviour has been proven decades back. This proves why AI screenwriters are playing a vital role in digital storytelling and why such prospects will increase even in future. Just like an author, who needs to understand the behaviour and mindset of their target audience, AI tools have done the same, and in fact, with greater ease. As a result, plotting narratives to gain audience attraction and ensuring the narratives relate to their real lives better or posit their life in a completely different is gradually becoming a cakewalk for AI.

The Showdown between AI and Human Authors in Digital Storytelling’s Future

There is considerable debate regarding whether AI can replace screenwriters even in the long run. While it might seem AI offers a radical perspective to individuals, helping them view their lives from a lens nobody showed, scholars also believe such an impact could be short-lived. This is because they expect the contention between AI and human authors to persist, where the latter would constantly try to improve themselves with greater human touch and emotional connection, thereby winning over the digital storytelling scenario.