Thoughts on AI: Lazily Generated Content

So, I was listening to this podcast recently, and the topic was shitty AI generated children's books on Kindle or something, and much to my disappointment it was pretty much just the host and guest talking smack about lazy people, who put in minimal effort to exploit the current system's inability to sort quality content from garbage someone just threw out there.

It's not an invalid complaint, but I felt like the technology was being blamed for the bad actors, as is so often the case in the blockchain environment, so I was compelled to run a quick experiment, both to test the AI, and to prove a point.

This is what I tried, presented unedited. I'll break it down into small pieces for discussion below, so don't feel obligated to read it all in one sitting.

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Write a short story about a young woman who smells like brimstone for a week after failing to properly cast a fire spell.

ChatGPT
In the quiet village of Oakridge, nestled amidst a lush forest, lived a young woman named Eliza. She possessed a fiery spirit that burned within her, just like the flickering flames she admired so much. Eliza was an aspiring mage, determined to master the ancient art of spellcasting.

One sunny morning, she eagerly set out to practice a new spell she had recently learned—The Ignis Incendio, a powerful fire spell. With her spellbook in hand and a spark of excitement in her eyes, she ventured into the secluded clearing near her cottage.

Eliza cleared her mind, focusing on the intricate gestures and incantations required for the spell. She breathed deeply, summoning her inner power, and cast the spell with all her might. But to her dismay, instead of a roaring flame, a pitiful puff of smoke emerged from her outstretched hand.

Confused and disappointed, Eliza tried again and again, but each time, her efforts fell short. Unbeknownst to her, she had missed a crucial step in the spell's incantation, resulting in its failure. With each failed attempt, a faint scent of brimstone wafted through the air.

As the week wore on, Eliza's frustration grew, but something peculiar happened—she began to notice a strange change in her own scent. The aroma of brimstone that had accompanied her failed spells seemed to linger on her skin, growing stronger with each passing day. It clung to her like an invisible cloak, overwhelming the delicate fragrance of wildflowers that once danced upon the breeze.

Embarrassed and self-conscious, Eliza withdrew from the village's social gatherings. The once lively young woman became a recluse, hiding herself away in her cottage. She spent hours poring over her spellbooks, determined to uncover the source of her misfortune.

With a newfound determination, Eliza sought guidance from the village's wise elder, a seasoned mage named Alistair. Alistair listened attentively to her tale, studying the remnants of smoke that seemed to cling to her very being.

"Ah, my dear," he said, his voice calm and wise. "You have indeed encountered the remnants of a failed fire spell. But fear not, for this is not a curse but a lesson."

Alistair explained that magic was a delicate balance between knowledge, skill, and intention. Eliza's failure to properly cast the spell had caused her magic to backfire, leaving behind the lingering scent of brimstone as a reminder of her mistake.

He assured her that with time and practice, she could correct her error and restore her magical harmony. He encouraged Eliza to embrace her setback as an opportunity for growth and understanding, reminding her that even the most accomplished mages had faced similar challenges.

Eliza left Alistair's cottage with a renewed sense of purpose. She returned to her secluded clearing, vowing to master the Ignis Incendio spell once and for all. Days turned into nights, and nights into days as she tirelessly practiced her craft, repeating the incantation and gestures until they became second nature.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Eliza stood in the clearing, ready to try once more. She closed her eyes, envisioning the flames dancing within her, and with a steady voice, she cast the spell. A brilliant blaze erupted from her hands, illuminating the forest with its vibrant hues. The scent of brimstone vanished, replaced by the comforting aroma of victory.

From that day forward, Eliza's passion for magic burned brighter than ever before. She learned the importance of patience, perseverance, and the acceptance of one's mistakes. No longer burdened by the scent of her failed spells, she embraced her journey towards becoming a skilled mage, forever carrying the lessons of her brimstone-scented week in her heart.

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I wouldn't call this ready for print, but I have no doubt I could spend a few hours punching it up and have a half decent children's story from it. Someone with a hint of actual talent could turn this into a whole series of inspirational children's stories.

So let's take a closer look at it.

In the quiet village of Oakridge, nestled amidst a lush forest, lived a young woman named Eliza. She possessed a fiery spirit that burned within her, just like the flickering flames she admired so much. Eliza was an aspiring mage, determined to master the ancient art of spellcasting.

Again, it isn't Shakespeare, but this isn't terrible. The first paragraph does a pretty good job of setting everything up. We know where we are, what it looks and sounds like, who our main character is, what she's passionate about, and what her intentions are in three fairly descriptive sentences. Certainly nothing to write home about, but there's some pretty solid use of grammar here. Quiet village, lush forest, fiery spirit are all solid descriptive terms, and there's even a nice metaphor to put a fine point on it.

One sunny morning, she eagerly set out to practice a new spell she had recently learned—The Ignis Incendio, a powerful fire spell. With her spellbook in hand and a spark of excitement in her eyes, she ventured into the secluded clearing near her cottage.

For this excerpt I'll point out there's a bit of a congruency issue, in that I feel like the wording indicates she can't accomplish something she's already recently achieved, but the message and theme are still on point, and the plot is still unfolding so I won't judge it too harshly. It's an easy fix.

Eliza cleared her mind, focusing on the intricate gestures and incantations required for the spell. She breathed deeply, summoning her inner power, and cast the spell with all her might. But to her dismay, instead of a roaring flame, a pitiful puff of smoke emerged from her outstretched hand.

This paragraph is a textbook introduction to The Hero's Journey. It's not as epic as Luke finding the charred corpses of Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, but it does pull her from her comfort zone and challenge her abilities, as well as her resolve.

Confused and disappointed, Eliza tried again and again, but each time, her efforts fell short. Unbeknownst to her, she had missed a crucial step in the spell's incantation, resulting in its failure. With each failed attempt, a faint scent of brimstone wafted through the air.

This paragraph espouses perseverance in the face of failure, as well as foreshadowing the soon to be revealed consequences of her failure.

As the week wore on, Eliza's frustration grew, but something peculiar happened—she began to notice a strange change in her own scent. The aroma of brimstone that had accompanied her failed spells seemed to linger on her skin, growing stronger with each passing day. It clung to her like an invisible cloak, overwhelming the delicate fragrance of wildflowers that once danced upon the breeze.

Again, I have minor complaints here regarding word choice, but there's nothing that can't be remedied. For instance I think "but something peculiar happened" should be then, something etc... and the last few words don't really do it for me, so I'd rewrite that into something along the lines of overwhelming the delicate fragrance of wildflowers that once emanated from her like the sweet scent of honeysuckle dancing on a summer breeze, but I have a public education so any old shit looks good to me.

Embarrassed and self-conscious, Eliza withdrew from the village's social gatherings. The once lively young woman became a recluse, hiding herself away in her cottage. She spent hours poring over her spellbooks, determined to uncover the source of her misfortune.

Insert "No Easy Way Out" Rocky 4 sorrow montage.

With a newfound determination, Eliza sought guidance from the village's wise elder, a seasoned mage named Alistair. Alistair listened attentively to her tale, studying the remnants of smoke that seemed to cling to her very being.

"Ah, my dear," he said, his voice calm and wise. "You have indeed encountered the remnants of a failed fire spell. But fear not, for this is not a curse but a lesson."

Yoda stuff...

Alistair explained that magic was a delicate balance between knowledge, skill, and intention. Eliza's failure to properly cast the spell had caused her magic to backfire, leaving behind the lingering scent of brimstone as a reminder of her mistake.

More Yoda stuff...

He assured her that with time and practice, she could correct her error and restore her magical harmony. He encouraged Eliza to embrace her setback as an opportunity for growth and understanding, reminding her that even the most accomplished mages had faced similar challenges.

The rest of the Yoda stuff...

Eliza left Alistair's cottage with a renewed sense of purpose. She returned to her secluded clearing, vowing to master the Ignis Incendio spell once and for all. Days turned into nights, and nights into days as she tirelessly practiced her craft, repeating the incantation and gestures until they became second nature.

Training montage...

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Eliza stood in the clearing, ready to try once more. She closed her eyes, envisioning the flames dancing within her, and with a steady voice, she cast the spell. A brilliant blaze erupted from her hands, illuminating the forest with its vibrant hues. The scent of brimstone vanished, replaced by the comforting aroma of victory.

DRAGO GOES DOWN!!

From that day forward, Eliza's passion for magic burned brighter than ever before. She learned the importance of patience, perseverance, and the acceptance of one's mistakes. No longer burdened by the scent of her failed spells, she embraced her journey towards becoming a skilled mage, forever carrying the lessons of her brimstone-scented week in her heart.

Finally, we wrap it up with what I'd call a solid ending. It has all the lessons and ties everything together pretty nicely. So for the last time, this isn't high art by any standard of measure, or stretch of the imagination, but it's not a bad foundation for someone to work with and build on.

I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on the subject so sound off in the comments if that's something that appeals to you.