PLet’s think about artificial intelligence (AI) for a moment. It may not have feelings yet, but if it did, it would be devastated by all the nasty things people say about it. All it’s trying to do is take our jobs and potentially destroy the world, and people can’t stop being mean.
This is evidenced by the recent controversy with the organization that runs National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an annual challenge to produce a manuscript in one month. In a recent statement, NaNoWriMo wrote that it does not explicitly support or condemn any approach to writing, “including the use of AI.” It also said: “The categorical condemnation of artificial intelligence has classist and ableist overtones… questions around the use of AI are linked to questions around privilege.”
Er… what? Is it AI? working class Now? Or did someone in the management class turn on ChatGPT and urge it to use the language of social justice as a weapon in defense of a technology that has been accused of stealing from artists and writers (by training using their work without compensating them) and is now doing the richest rich? This strange statement provoked a A lot of anger and four members of the NaNoWriMo writers council resigned in protest. When she resigned, bestselling author Maureen Johnson urged other writers “Be careful: your work on their platform will almost certainly be used to train AI.”
NaNoWriMo has attempted to do some damage control and issued a statement Last week, a group of writers said their original wording was unclear (not ideal when dealing with a writers’ organization) and that they don’t “believe that those who have concerns about AI are classist or ableist.” But many writers still seem distrustful of both the organization and AI.
And that’s fair, isn’t it? I’m not anti-AI by any means – outright condemnation of anything (except things like genocide) is obviously inappropriate. If channeled properly, I think AI can improve human creativity and society for all. On the other hand, I think the future of AI is in the hands of a group of sociopathic technocrats whose primary concern is profit. We’re in a Choose Your Own Adventure scenario with AI right now. And right now it seems like we’re choosing the dystopian ending.
Arwa Mahdawi is a columnist for The Guardian newspaper.
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