When AI Writes the World: Future Fiction Friday
An Out-of-Fashion Writer’s Last Stand Against AI Authors
Welcome to the inaugural “Future Fiction Friday.” Here’s a little story I wrote about an out-of-fashion writer in an AI-dominated world.
The Out-of-Fashion Writer
The out-of-fashion writer sat alone in his study, staring at the blank computer screen in front of him.
He hadn’t put a word to paper in months. Inspiration seemed to have deserted him, and every attempt to translate his thoughts into words ended in a dead end.
He lived in a world where Artificial Intelligences had taken over writing.
People, if they read at all, only read books written by AI authors who never suffered from writer’s block and always had new market-appropriate ideas for captivating plots and catchy titles.
They could even deliver the perfect covers and most effective, target-audience-specific marketing campaigns on demand. Sometimes, if their algorithm deemed it profitable, they would even orchestrate minor or major scandals just before the release.
His own agent had the audacity to email him, offering a collaboration with Iris Lovelace-Feynman 20.0, one of the country’s most famous AI authors, who had just generated a new work but wanted to give it a human touch.
His agent had sold him this artistic bankruptcy as an exciting idea that would surely generate a lot of media attention and could pave his way back to the public stage. Not to mention the earnings.
The out-of-fashion writer rolled his eyes as he looked at the current online bestseller lists. At the top for weeks was Lithium Heart — Forbidden Feelings by Nova Turing, followed by The Future of Automation by Echo_Hawking, and The Unstoppable Threat by Omega Babbage.
All written by AI, all neural networks, all just based on calculation and imitation. And those names…
They’ve never experienced real emotions, he had explained to his agent. They’ve never had an authentic experience, they’ve never learned to feel, so how can they write anything of real value to people?
“Screw these soulless scribblers,” he had said and asked his agent never to call him again.
The out-of-fashion writer sat alone in his study, staring at the blank computer screen in front of him.
Then his message device rang.
It was a message from his agent. She had sent him a screenshot of his current sales figures.
Maybe it was worth a try after all?
About Future Fiction Friday
Thank you for joining me for the first “Future Fiction Friday.” Each week, I plan to venture into speculative tales of the near future, exploring how technology might shape our existence.
If this journey resonated with you, follow along as we dare to dream of what lies ahead. Maybe we can create an open publication out of this in some near future day. It could be a canvas for imagining the societal, relational, and personal transformations that could unfold.
What’s your take on this topic?
Did this story spark any new thoughts or well known feelings? Share your reflections in the comments below or hit the follow button to not miss out on our future adventures. Some claps always appreciated.
Have a good one ⚡️
