While I haven't posted in awhile, it wouldn't surprise me if Google, along with many social media platforms, have been using my work and others to train the robots to write more betterer. I have removed all my former work as a form of tepid protest. I will ensure that I have it all backed up somewhere (that is probably also being used to train AI) and then delete it from Google.
Some people will say it's hysterics to look at this new shiny tool with distrust. Perhaps it is. I'm worried less about losing my job to AI (I've made dozens of dollars writing creatively), and more about how quick society is to embrace an abomination. The sense that we are creating a tool that all but ensures creatives will be paid less and treated less well - all while using their hard work to feed the beast that is replacing them - rubs me the wrong way.
Creatives will be trained to feed their beasts and edit the crap that the beast spews out. Which will take up enough time that they don't have time for their own works. Onward. Progress.
Others have spoken and written on this subject with more frothy humor and rage. Honestly, I'm not mad, I'm disappointed. Disappointed that we, as humans, can't figure out how to help our storytellers live off their makings. Disappointed that companies see robots spewing out second rate, recycled ideas as a better value than the souls who make these cobbled together shams possible.
It's faster! It's got more information! Yes. It has taken whatever some naïve fool posted on a forum, a chat, an email, a google doc, social media group... and it can copy and paste faster (for the record, that's me, I'm that naïve fool). It doesn't worry about accuracy or wonder if something has been done before. In fact, it knows it has been done before. Because otherwise it couldn't copy it.
While I'm sure the solution may not be to take my words and go home, until the scrapers stop stealing them or until we can find a way to treat our dreamers with respect instead of theft... I will bow out.
