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An unprecedented literary era: the prose of artificial intelligence
It is now in the annals: a literary work designed by an artificial intelligence program won the silver medal in a literary competition in China. The artificial intelligence, whose creator is a journalism teacher, has produced a work entitled « The Land of Memories », which seems straight out of a parallel universe such as the metaverse, full of robots devoid of memories and amnesiac artificial intelligences, where the stay is fatal for anyone daring to transgress, with the risk of being dispossessed of their own memories.
Intrigue of a forbidden and digital world
- A kingdom where humans cannot tread the ground
- Populated by robotic creations and memoryless AI
- A memory trap for intruders, whether human or digital
From contested beginnings to consecration
This story opens with lines that reveal some stylistic awkwardness, however, this did not hinder his success in the competition. This success, revealed on December 20, 2023 by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), has not spared controversy since this type of technology, which is strongly reminiscent of tools like ChatGPT, has already met with mixed opinions and strong reactions in the world of science fiction.
Precedents exist where AI-generated works have been called mediocre. Moreover, a recognized publication in this literary field has limited its competition in the face of the influx of texts produced by AI, revealing a palpable concern among authors about the potential hijacking of their profession by these technologies.
Source of images: A short story generated by an AI finds its way to success in a literary competition // Credit: Numerama
A method ready to be shared
The goal announced by the author-academic is to share with the public his method of working with artificial intelligence, thus opening the door to other potential similar successes. Even if writers express reservations and warn against possible abuses, this new era of algorithmic literature could shake up established codes and question the very definition of creativity.
A new page in the world of science fiction
The example “The Land of Memories” perfectly illustrates how artificial intelligence can not only simulate literary creation but also be praised by peers for its achievement. If the adoption of these technological tools by the authors remains debated, it is indisputable that this page written by an AI marks a significant turning point in science fiction and perhaps even beyond.
