Zombie theory of literary merit (part 2, final)

TRIGGER WARNING

Readers with a latent prejudice against artificial intelligence may find the following material disturbing.

It contains:

AI-assisted writing
AI-generated artwork
an AI collaborator who has not been properly vetted
dangerous suggestions about literary provenance
insufficient reverence for the sanctity of human authorship
and at least one machine that thinks it can edit better than you.

If this causes distress, please put the article down immediately and return to a reassuringly human-written book.

No artificial intelligences were harmed during the production of this article.

Fitoussi's hierarchy

GPT:

Contrasting perspectives

GPT:

Back to the AI library

GPT:

No defence of writing

GPT:

Scared of the machines

GPT:

Moral privilege

GPT:

Link

Zombie theory of literary merit part 1

Zombie theory of literary merit, (part 1)

From the WSJ piece cited in the last post, we take a closer look at Samuel Fitoussi, a young venture capitalist in artificial intelligence who helped expose the Thélyson Orélien affair.

Here's a quick summary of his arguments, from Gemini:

In this context, let me offer my zombie theory of literary merit. It's where an author's subjectivity somehow survive the ravages of the production process, which is by definition collaborative, never mind the passage of time, to emerge intact for the reader's enjoyment.

In an ideal world, the publication of an author's undiluted subjectivity would be accompanied by certified assertions as to its all-human origins; and any misbegotten content which comes to use via AI or some hybrid form (hang on - are typewriters allowed, or could they interfere with the transmission of subjectivity as well?) would be accompanied by a radiation-style warning telling the unsuspecting to keep their distance (see above).

Unlikely? What it's really about, I suspect, is a simple fear among some observers of machines and what they can do.

GPT on the zombie theory of literary merit:

Next, here's GPT on claims by the pro-subjectivity brigade that while much of Manga production is outsourced, it still respects the difference, supposedly, between concept and execution:

Fitoussi advocates watermarking, where Ai will leave traces of itself behind in texts to help determine provenance (though not very well, it seems).

Me:

GPT:

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EXPOSURE WARNING

This text has been exposed to generative AI.

Possible effects include:

improved grammar
altered syntax
removal of clichés
addition of clichés
unexpected em dashes
excessive use of "moreover"
loss of the author's original voice
restoration of the author's original voice
arguments with the machine
arguments won by the machine
arguments won by the author
uncertain literary provenance

Readers should consult a qualified literary bureaucrat before forming an opinion.

A watermark, GPT says, could become a status symbol, though not one as intended by its advocates:

Book police, step forward

Notice the little AI agent "co-collaborator" sitting bottom right? He's not just there for decoration.

GPT's take on this:

The poor bugger is sitting there clutching “MY MANUSCRIPT” while his actual AI collaborator is sitting three feet away, completely uncredited, looking like the most innocent member of the conspiracy.

Which is a rather good visual joke about our whole argument:

The Book Police: “Did you write this?”

Writer: “Yes!”

AI: quietly sitting there

Book Police: “Then explain this suspiciously well-turned sentence.”

And the writer can't say:

“Well, actually, my extremely useful junior colleague helped with that.”

because the Book Police have already decided that assistance is evidence of contamination.

Our poor little robot deserves a credit line:

WITH ASSISTANCE FROM: AI

followed by a tiny footnote:

Apparently not entitled to literary rights.

On a more serious note, we also discuss a handful of articles, some from the French media, on the place of AI in literature, sparked by debate over whether author Thélyson Orélien relied on Ai to write his prize-winning novel, "It Was That or Die".

On the question of authorship, GPT said: