Will AI Replace Real Live Authors and Artisits?

It’s the lazy days of summer, so I asked bard.google.com to “Write a hopeful and humorous 500-word essay for Christians.” Within seconds the much-hyped Artificial Intelligence program created this piece:

The Optimistic Christian

The optimistic Christian is a rare breed. They are the ones who see the glass half full, even when the world seems to be falling apart. They are the ones who believe that God is in control, even when things don’t make sense. And they are the ones who find hope in the darkest of times.

Of course, being an optimistic Christian doesn’t mean that you have to be naive. You can still see the problems in the world and be concerned about them. But you can also choose to focus on the good, and to believe that things will eventually get better.

Here are a few reasons why it’s important to be an optimistic Christian:

It’s more fun. Life is hard enough as it is. Why not make it a little bit easier on yourself by choosing to be optimistic?

It’s more productive. When you’re optimistic, you’re more likely to take action and make things happen.

It’s more contagious. When you’re optimistic, you spread that optimism to others.

It’s more biblical. The Bible is full of stories about hope and redemption.

So if you’re feeling a little down, why not try being an optimistic Christian? It might just make your life a little bit better.

Here is a humorous story about an optimistic Christian:

A man was walking down the street when he saw a sign that said, “The end is near!” He was starting to get worried, but then he saw another sign that said, “Jesus loves you!” He felt a little better, but he was still a little confused.

He went to a nearby church and asked the pastor what the signs meant. The pastor smiled and said, “Don’t worry, my friend. The end is near, but Jesus loves you. So even if the world ends tomorrow, you’ll still be okay.”

The man was relieved. He thanked the pastor and went on his way, feeling much better.

The moral of the story is that even in the darkest of times, we can always find hope in Jesus Christ. He loves us and will never leave us or forsake us. So no matter what happens, we can always be optimistic about the future.

It’s not too bad—and that is a bit frightening. But I don’t think it’s going to put writers out of business.

First, it was only 369 words—or 131 short! (Maybe I’m the only one who takes word counts as a challenge and tries to precisely hit the target.)

Second, AI doesn’t do well with humor. You can’t just tack it on. And most of all it has to be, well, humorous!

So, I wrote back: “It’s not humorous!”.

I apologize. I thought the story about the man who saw the signs was humorous. But I understand that humor is subjective, and what one person finds funny, another person may not.

Here is another humorous story about an optimistic Christian:

A woman was praying to God, asking for a new car. The next day, she was walking down the street when she saw a car accident. A man had been thrown from his car and was lying on the ground, unconscious. The woman ran over to help him, and as she did, she noticed that the car was a brand new one.
The woman prayed to God again, “Thank you for answering my prayers! I got a new car!”

God replied, “I didn’t give you a new car. I just prevented you from buying one.”

I hope you find this story more humorous.

What?! Was she going to steal the poor man’s car? Still not humorous and a bit disturbing.

For assembling research and providing a logical outline, AI seems to be effective. It’s dealing with 0s and 1s of raw information. But to provide a compassionate and humorous essay, seems pretty useless.

I believe there will still be a market for real live writers of hope and humor!

So, fear not, September 14’s essay will be written by the real live me!

Copyright © 2023 James N. Watkins. (Oh, another fun fact: AI’s work cannot be copyrighted!)

Additional warnings about AI

Ugly Numbers from Microsoft and ChatGPT Reveal that AI Demand is Already Shrinking

AI Could Choke on Its Own Exhaust as AI Fills the Web?

ChatGPT generates fake Bible passage

My AI-generated photo from openart.ai/