I wrote this IWSG post as the reminder arrived in my inbox. Words for Wdnesday will hopefully be written later today. 🎈
And a reason to 🎈 celebrate. 🎊 💙 This 🎉 is my post number 2222. 🎈 🎈
And a reason to 🎈 celebrate. 🎊 💙 This 🎉 is my post number 2222. 🎈 🎈
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My answer: I think the italicised statement is perfectly true. My experience with AI tells me that AI / ChatBots can tell you how to organize your text, but not write it for you - at least not producing anything I would sign my name to.
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Pulp fiction, romantic drivel, magazine whodunnits, now that's another issue altogether, because these are generic entertainment. This I fully see taken over by AIs
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As an example, let's take translation - we all grasp at what we know best, I suppose 😏
AIs - even the best - do not understand enough about languages, style and connotations to make decent translations from one Germanic languages into one another. And if you mix in other language groups, you're sure to have lots of entertainment and errors as a result.
AIs - even the best - do not understand enough about languages, style and connotations to make decent translations from one Germanic languages into one another. And if you mix in other language groups, you're sure to have lots of entertainment and errors as a result.
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I try this regularly, and they have become better and better. But there's an undefined aura of wrong about those texts - apart for the glaring mistranslations where homographs are translated using the wrong word (something a human being captures immediately).
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My mother-tongue is Danish - I pride myself on writhing a solid, not too sophisticated English without too many odd expressions and stumble stones for the native reader.
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Let's see how an AI does this job.
My second blog post ever was just for fun -- I translated my very first blog post using Google translate. The link takes you to the blog post containing the original, the 2012 Google translate version, and my translation.
At regular interval I run it through to check.
Here it is courtesy of Google translate September 2023:
Clear as ink, as we say in Danish.
I took a better translating device (DeepL). Now we have almost no errors (the only big mistranslation is italicised and explained in a note), but I would not publish this on my blog without a throughout revision - would you?
*Nopey-dopey ... I do not run out of time It's the time running from me. Aka. me forgetting that I have a bread either raising or baking. 🎈
My second blog post ever was just for fun -- I translated my very first blog post using Google translate. The link takes you to the blog post containing the original, the 2012 Google translate version, and my translation.
At regular interval I run it through to check.
Here it is courtesy of Google translate September 2023:
Usually I convene Mini-Max to make bread. It gets better than if I do it myself, but today he was in school and there was no bread for lunch, so I had to get started myself.
3 deciliters spelled kernels are measured by in my indispensable deciliter dimensions that can accommodate 3 deciliters, and then they are painted to flour together with a few fennel seeds. It takes place with my German Melmølle. So it becomes much more when it is painted, about 5 dl.
Then there will be water in. Again, my indispensable 3-deciliter dimensions come into use: 2 dl. hot water and 4 dl. cold, then the water has the right temperature. Then I add salt and a teaspoon of white jersey and a teaspoon of hips, both first painted for powder. The acid in the rose powder makes the yeast work better. I also sometimes put strange things in from the closet, today a sprinkle of fiber food that the boys do not bother to eat anyway. In the end, I should not forget the yeast. ½ pack of yeast, preferably organic, and then it is all stirring with a dough hook, it is another of my indispensable aids in the kitchen.
Then the dough raises, without the help of me only with the assistance of a minute, otherwise time will run from me and the breads become strange. If the writer is at home, he will be called to knead.
For the most part, I remember throwing a quarter of deciliter of water into the oven when the loaves are inserted and before the oven closes. Then they raise a little better and get crispier.
When the breads are baked, they come up and stand and cool on the stove. Nam-nam.
3 deciliters spelled kernels are measured by in my indispensable deciliter dimensions that can accommodate 3 deciliters, and then they are painted to flour together with a few fennel seeds. It takes place with my German Melmølle. So it becomes much more when it is painted, about 5 dl.
Then there will be water in. Again, my indispensable 3-deciliter dimensions come into use: 2 dl. hot water and 4 dl. cold, then the water has the right temperature. Then I add salt and a teaspoon of white jersey and a teaspoon of hips, both first painted for powder. The acid in the rose powder makes the yeast work better. I also sometimes put strange things in from the closet, today a sprinkle of fiber food that the boys do not bother to eat anyway. In the end, I should not forget the yeast. ½ pack of yeast, preferably organic, and then it is all stirring with a dough hook, it is another of my indispensable aids in the kitchen.
Then the dough raises, without the help of me only with the assistance of a minute, otherwise time will run from me and the breads become strange. If the writer is at home, he will be called to knead.
For the most part, I remember throwing a quarter of deciliter of water into the oven when the loaves are inserted and before the oven closes. Then they raise a little better and get crispier.
When the breads are baked, they come up and stand and cool on the stove. Nam-nam.
Clear as ink, as we say in Danish.
I took a better translating device (DeepL). Now we have almost no errors (the only big mistranslation is italicised and explained in a note), but I would not publish this on my blog without a throughout revision - would you?
Normally, I call Mini-Max to make bread. It turns out better than if I do it myself, but today he was at school and there was no bread for lunch, so I had to do it myself.
3 decilitres of spelt grains are measured in my indispensable 3 decilitre measure, and then ground into flour along with a few fennel seeds. This is done with my German flour mill. It turns into a lot more when it's ground, about 5 dl.
Then water is added. Again, my indispensable 3 decilitre measure comes into play: 2 dl. hot water and 4 dl. cold, so the water is at the right temperature. Then I add salt and a teaspoon of hawthorn tea and a teaspoon of rosehips, both first ground into powder. The acid in the rosehip powder makes the yeast work better. I also sometimes add weird things from the cupboard, today a sprinkle of fibre food that the boys don't want to eat anyway. Finally, don't forget the yeast. I use ½ packet of yeast, preferably organic, and then mix it all together with a dough hook, which is another of my indispensable kitchen tools.
Then the dough rises, without any help from me, only with the assistance of a timer, otherwise I run out of time* and the loaves get weird. If the Writer is home, he is called in to knead.
I usually remember to throw a quarter of a decilitre of water into the oven when the loaves are inserted and before the oven is closed. This helps them rise a little better and makes them crispier.
When the loaves are done baking, they are placed on the hob to cool. Yummy.
3 decilitres of spelt grains are measured in my indispensable 3 decilitre measure, and then ground into flour along with a few fennel seeds. This is done with my German flour mill. It turns into a lot more when it's ground, about 5 dl.
Then water is added. Again, my indispensable 3 decilitre measure comes into play: 2 dl. hot water and 4 dl. cold, so the water is at the right temperature. Then I add salt and a teaspoon of hawthorn tea and a teaspoon of rosehips, both first ground into powder. The acid in the rosehip powder makes the yeast work better. I also sometimes add weird things from the cupboard, today a sprinkle of fibre food that the boys don't want to eat anyway. Finally, don't forget the yeast. I use ½ packet of yeast, preferably organic, and then mix it all together with a dough hook, which is another of my indispensable kitchen tools.
Then the dough rises, without any help from me, only with the assistance of a timer, otherwise I run out of time* and the loaves get weird. If the Writer is home, he is called in to knead.
I usually remember to throw a quarter of a decilitre of water into the oven when the loaves are inserted and before the oven is closed. This helps them rise a little better and makes them crispier.
When the loaves are done baking, they are placed on the hob to cool. Yummy.
*Nopey-dopey ... I do not run out of time It's the time running from me. Aka. me forgetting that I have a bread either raising or baking. 🎈
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I have reservations about AI, but fear it is inevitable. Which worries me.
SvarSletUsed as I outline, as a help to organize what you want to say, it genuinely is a help. What Olga Godim has to say about picture art is very much valid for word art as well.
SletAnonymous Esther East of the Sun, whose next door neighbour is a translator, but last year, a big company decided that her services were no longer required.
SvarSletThe letter informing her of this decision proved how very much they did need translators, but - as they are rich, and might be annoyed, better not to name them. No solpersteine yet in the UK, met quite often, travelling across Europe, by train, so far, no further than Poland.
My favourite geek is mostly reassuring about (A) Intelligence, which depends entirely on human intelligence, and - teaching computers ( his day job) knows they can't think, feel or even be happy. Most geeks are paid a lot more than most writers.
Welcome Esther East of the Sun. Yes the big companies are most often the "criminals" here.
SletWriters and translators are paid peanuts compared to geeks :) Here too. I have geek fiends and family too. And I too am fairly reassured -- concerning AIs that is not concerning companies thinking they can do without human translators. I think that a couple of really expensive mistakes is needed to make them realise this.
Good point about how automated translation shows up the weakness of AI and language. I can see it being useful for helping organize especially non-fiction writing, but don't see myself using it. Of course, any non-fiction writing I'm apt to do will be creative non-fiction, so more the stuff that needs an artistic hand.
SvarSletAIs are - I think -supposed to be a help, not a standalone. And we can all profit from having them take over menial tasks like spellchecking ;) and suchlike, to let us have more time for creative thinking.
SletAs always it is a good servant, but a bad master.
As with other tools, it's a tool. It can be used well or badly, and used well can do good work. Used badly, those who used it that way will end up regretting it, I believe.
SvarSletI have experienced people using AIs badly - that is without checking or thinking - they had regrets afterwards ;)
SletWe all use small scale AIs - spellcheckers for instance, and there we can see how much caution is needed.
I have heard of AI but have no plans to ever try it myself. I like to do my own thinking.
SvarSletYup, my standpoint, too.
SletHow much is a decilitre in English measurement?
SvarSletErr, I bougth a cup measure because I cannot do the maths when following a recippe in cups or anything else, and my weight can do the same for dry measiures. I also have a measuring tape with inches ;)
SletBut a decilitre is the same as 100 g if that's any help at all.
It definitely still has a long way to go in developing! I've been training mine for a year to help with ad copy. It gives me something to copy edit and I much prefer copy editing to copywriting so there is that!
SvarSletI do agree that we need much better regulation around it to protect artists and to ensure they are paid as it learns as well as to make sure that the codifying definition of "copyright" is more nuanced and able to protect better.