tAnyone who has spent time online recently may have seen a new trend in writing on the internet ─ excessive em dashes, florid vocabulary, and unrestrained use of tricolons. Like a machine that stamps every idea into the same, factory-made shape, the overused similes and metaphors seem slightly out of touch. This writing is a result of ChatGPT.
The widespread adoption of AI throughout culture has affected all forms of art and media. While the giveaways of generated images and videos can be easily recognizable (the blurred text and robotic voices to name a few), picking up trends of AI in writing can be much harder to spot. Whether it be news articles, social media captions, or how-to guides, lately I’ve found myself questioning almost everything I read, wondering if the familiar mode of formulaic writing is ChatGPT or simply the style of the author. Some articles are easier to spot as artificial than others. Usually, they are paired with an obviously AI generated image and a title separated by a colon (for example, “When Machines Set the Tone: The Growing Influence of ChatGPT on Human Prose”).
For other pieces of writing, however, the source can be much harder to pick out. The story is well-written, but the writing is not compelling. The words may flow, but hints of ChatGPT’s trademark style remain. This could mean two things: more and more writing is being done by AI, and/or human writers are subconsciously imitating AI in their own personal style. The latter is a greater problem.
Since AI is meant to imitate humans, if humans imitate AI, then a cycle of parroting takes place that results in all writing being the same. When this happens, personal style is lost and the human perspective behind writing begins to decline.
This trend should be avoided across all forms of art as well. As a musician, I’m unsure of what the future holds for music and AI. While some alarmists believe that AI could soon replace many artists, I’m slightly more optimistic. I believe the connections created from art are a result of the human perspective behind it. The music I appreciate the most is created by artists who evoke emotions through their unique artistry.
When it comes to AI and art, I don’t think all human creation will become extinct. There will always be demand for human-made writing, music, and videos. However, it is now more important than ever for each individual to maintain their unique perspective. That is what creates lasting art that leaves an impact on society.
