Almost every author has heard the adage that to be a great writer you must be an avid reader. It turns out that the same maxim applies to language-generative artificial intelligence (AI). In order to mimic human writers, AI technologies such as ChatGPT (OpenAI’s chatbot) and LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI, a tool for AI developers created by Facebook’s parent company, Meta) were fed millions of copyrighted books, articles, essays, and poems, according to the Authors Guild. Revered authors such as Margaret Atwood, Stephen King, George Saunders, and Zadie Smith are among those whose books are being used to train generative AI, the Atlantic reported in August. These and other texts are responsible for AI’s uncanny ability to reproduce high-quality prose and verse on command, setting off alarm bells…
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Poets & Writers (Digital) - 1 Issue, November/December 2023