TLDR:
Key points:
- R.O. Kwon believes that writing is fundamentally a human struggle with language, which A.I. cannot capture.
- She argues that the rise of A.I. in writing is part of a bigger problem in turning all arts into content, focusing only on the outcome and not the process.
In a discussion about writing in the age of A.I., novelist R.O. Kwon emphasizes the importance of human struggle with language. She argues that A.I. art misses the point of what humanity and language are all about. Kwon believes that writing is a deeply human experience rooted in faith, love, sex, and being in a body.
She expresses concern over the threat A.I. poses to writers and artists, as it simulates the result of human activity rather than the experience itself. Kwon highlights that writing is a process where the writer comes with questions, not answers, and the act of writing itself is where they discover the path forward.
Kwon values the attention and generosity that writing requires, likening it to a performance where the book is the end result. She stresses that ideas are abundant, but the individuality and aliveness of a book cannot be replicated by A.I. The writer’s intention, research, and expression are unique to their human experience, which readers may not fully grasp from automated processes.