What to do with it in the classroom is one thing; how a poet uses it is another. This argument hinges on shaming others. I’m troubled by this undemocratic shaming of those who choose to use it, calling their work “slop.” I’m not arguing my poetry isn’t slop. Perhaps it is. But not because I occasionally use a form of virtual reality to “see” more deeply into what I have wrought and occasionally change very small particles in the dreamworld. Every byte is me. It might not work for everyone, but there is no requirement to use it. And no requirement that anyone read my poetry. I gift it to anyone who stumbles upon it. Turn your eyes away from this lazy poet if you find the Monkey’s work a falsehood. I assure you it isn’t.
No, not me. But there is a strong voice from the creatives on Substack gaining steam. Some have been arguing that Substack should ban AI users from publishing on the platform. Barring that, shaming is a fallback strategy. Like you, I can spot a bot writing a lot verrry quickly. I don’t mind it if I know it’s botspeak, I’m interested in the substance, I am expert enough to see hallucinations (I prefer the “writer” to cite accessible sources for assertions of facts), and if the author is firmly in control of the presentation.
Re: the use of AI to outline writing projects. It is predictable in how it parses out the canonical structure of a theme or topic. It’s hard to get it to veer from the traditional Western paragraphic structure of the “essay.” So its default is to do a beginning middle end with paragraphic assumptions. I’ve always found a more flexible structure earlier in the writing process more open to massaging as a way to find the natural structure in the subject matter, sort of a quest for the golden ratio, the nautilus shell. Your concept of “episodes” as an alternative to chapters or acts is more flexible, for example. I like it. I do think AI can help inexperienced writers understand what structure means inside a text, but not with an “Ok, today we’re going to write an outline, then we’re going to write a rough draft” approach. I think the project should ALWAYS begin with human inspiration and gradually bring in the AI troops always with a clear goal. That’s what we need to teach I think. I’d love to be teaching a section of Freshman Comp about now.
Yes. The shaming us very troubling. I hope I did not appear to do so referring to failing students on extreme, frankfully shameful abuses. I've also seen students translate their short stories into English. And every piece is them. I'm finding it an exciting time because, for the first time in my career in English and Film teaching overseas, I am being approached by students with very thoughtful, well presented works that - indeed - is every particle "THEM."
Any reader would be insane to look at your work and find it falsehood. The rare quality of "knowing" an author through indirect discovery . . . You are all over your work, Terry.
Same goes for you. I can't wait to share the first four "episodes"! But to make it the best I can, just a bit longer to tweak. You'll be the first to have access to that much of the text at once!
Yep. Welcome, Brock. It’s very cool you returned. I sometimes use AI imaging to help me glimpse what a close reader of my poem might see in their inner theater. I don’t use it that way for my posts—more for background and context, curiosity, just for fun, thought experiments, pushing back at me, research omg research is way up there. In my poems the images are amazing—I get alerted to echoes floating in ambiguity I can intensify, clarify, or eliminate by simple changes. AI cannot, I repeat, cannot write poetry, though Claude Sonnet I think I use anyway Claude appears to have some fake talent, usually absolutely pitiful but once in a while..,
When I record songs for SoundCloud, I try different plugins to explore different spectrums in different effects and can completely change the presentation in horrible or annoying or beautiful ways, a quest for the golden ratio. Idk. I do know I would have been in heaven with AI in middle and high school—if Satan were allowed to roam in smalltown Ill-Annoy.
What to do with it in the classroom is one thing; how a poet uses it is another. This argument hinges on shaming others. I’m troubled by this undemocratic shaming of those who choose to use it, calling their work “slop.” I’m not arguing my poetry isn’t slop. Perhaps it is. But not because I occasionally use a form of virtual reality to “see” more deeply into what I have wrought and occasionally change very small particles in the dreamworld. Every byte is me. It might not work for everyone, but there is no requirement to use it. And no requirement that anyone read my poetry. I gift it to anyone who stumbles upon it. Turn your eyes away from this lazy poet if you find the Monkey’s work a falsehood. I assure you it isn’t.
I may be missing context here actually: have you been abused and shamed in my absence for any of this?
No, not me. But there is a strong voice from the creatives on Substack gaining steam. Some have been arguing that Substack should ban AI users from publishing on the platform. Barring that, shaming is a fallback strategy. Like you, I can spot a bot writing a lot verrry quickly. I don’t mind it if I know it’s botspeak, I’m interested in the substance, I am expert enough to see hallucinations (I prefer the “writer” to cite accessible sources for assertions of facts), and if the author is firmly in control of the presentation.
Re: the use of AI to outline writing projects. It is predictable in how it parses out the canonical structure of a theme or topic. It’s hard to get it to veer from the traditional Western paragraphic structure of the “essay.” So its default is to do a beginning middle end with paragraphic assumptions. I’ve always found a more flexible structure earlier in the writing process more open to massaging as a way to find the natural structure in the subject matter, sort of a quest for the golden ratio, the nautilus shell. Your concept of “episodes” as an alternative to chapters or acts is more flexible, for example. I like it. I do think AI can help inexperienced writers understand what structure means inside a text, but not with an “Ok, today we’re going to write an outline, then we’re going to write a rough draft” approach. I think the project should ALWAYS begin with human inspiration and gradually bring in the AI troops always with a clear goal. That’s what we need to teach I think. I’d love to be teaching a section of Freshman Comp about now.
Yes. The shaming us very troubling. I hope I did not appear to do so referring to failing students on extreme, frankfully shameful abuses. I've also seen students translate their short stories into English. And every piece is them. I'm finding it an exciting time because, for the first time in my career in English and Film teaching overseas, I am being approached by students with very thoughtful, well presented works that - indeed - is every particle "THEM."
Any reader would be insane to look at your work and find it falsehood. The rare quality of "knowing" an author through indirect discovery . . . You are all over your work, Terry.
You are so kind, Brock. I’ve missed you.
Same goes for you. I can't wait to share the first four "episodes"! But to make it the best I can, just a bit longer to tweak. You'll be the first to have access to that much of the text at once!
I do not think we will ever have an AI novel.
I don’t either.
I have never tried to generate music . . . That's cool. I'd like to try soundtracks on my posts.
Yep. Welcome, Brock. It’s very cool you returned. I sometimes use AI imaging to help me glimpse what a close reader of my poem might see in their inner theater. I don’t use it that way for my posts—more for background and context, curiosity, just for fun, thought experiments, pushing back at me, research omg research is way up there. In my poems the images are amazing—I get alerted to echoes floating in ambiguity I can intensify, clarify, or eliminate by simple changes. AI cannot, I repeat, cannot write poetry, though Claude Sonnet I think I use anyway Claude appears to have some fake talent, usually absolutely pitiful but once in a while..,
When I record songs for SoundCloud, I try different plugins to explore different spectrums in different effects and can completely change the presentation in horrible or annoying or beautiful ways, a quest for the golden ratio. Idk. I do know I would have been in heaven with AI in middle and high school—if Satan were allowed to roam in smalltown Ill-Annoy.