Hey AI, please 'calm down'.

This particular article was long due. I could finally give some time to articulate my thoughts around usage of AI (artificial intelligence also termed as artificial general intelligence by some humans) in creating children's literature.

A few friends and acquaintance had mentioned the need of exploring AI in the realm of content creation (been almost two years now..) but a recent first hand experience, coaxed me to explore its nature, advantages and disadvantages especially in educational endeavours and specifically in writing children's literature.

Sharing below, a brief description and reflection about the amusing experience in the Teacher Author workshop, (The Teacher Author program is primarily about writing critical, contextual and comprehensive children's literature in Indian Languages)

Instructions given: Draft a short poem on one of the illustrations provided over the WhatsApp group. Observe the illustration carefully, try to articulate and exaggerate on the emotions you observe, ensure the protagonist's problem is contextual and established and the closure is unpredictable and humorous. Try to rhyme and maintain meter throughout. Language no bar.

NOTE: You may try this task too. The only condition, do not use any AI tools (even for illustrations) you may try writing a short poem based on any illustration from any children's literature or our website www.teacherauthor.in .If you think you are facing any kind of struggle in the process of writing, please feel free to share them with us at [email protected]

Particular Participant's (Like most Indians, English is their second language, they teach English Language in the primary grades, therefore shared an English poem) response: A descriptive short poem (8-10 lines) that described the illustration merely on the basis of what could be seen already, some emotionally charged jargons, yet no 'voice' and no contextual relevance and didactic. The poem was well rhymed and metered. The same could be said for all the 7 poems (for 7 illustrations) they had shared.

Now, according to thesaurus dictionary a poem is: 'A composition using rhythm and often rhyme to create a lyrical effect' thus one cannot deny that the texts shared were technically speaking, poems.

NOTE: You may now use any AI tool and share a poem around one of the illustrations from our website: www.teacherauthor.in and share it with us. I think, there is a great chance of 'your' drafts/poems being similar in their tone and general format as the one mentioned above.

Well, one significantly outstanding characteristic of these poem was, that these were shared/ made available for a read, in the quickest time possible. Now, one may wonder, what is all the fuss about? Since 7 short poems were indeed created in English, in a quarter of a minute.

So, in order to make sense of the 'fuss' one could perhaps ponder about the following questions. There could be many more questions, but I think, here, these might suffice to address the problem at hand, that is, How to create good children's literature; in this case- a good poem?

1. What does literature created for children mean? Or simply put what does children's literature mean?
2. Is creativity a necessary condition in writing children's literature ? If so why? Also then, what does creativity mean?
3. Is creativity a sufficient condition in writing children's literature?
4. Is creativity primarily a human endeavour? Please note, a reference to an article is provided on the concept of creativity; It is a very relevant article, for understanding the idea of creativity in any field of human study.

In order to understand the nature of good children's literature (poem in this case), written especially for children aged upto 7 or 8 year olds, living any where on this planet, one would need to know and understand some necessary and sufficient conditions. While creativity as a necessary condition may ace the list, it is not a sufficient condition in itself.

i) The understanding about nature of language (what does language mean?) and ii) Nature of human learning (how do children learn?) and iii) Which literacy skills can be developed in young readers using good children's literature are some of the other necessary and sufficient conditions to be kept in mind while writing good children's literature. We at the Teacher Author program, engage with the theoretical and practical aspects around all these three critical aspects.

Let us see, why these are central in creation of children's literature. And how can one come to develop that kind of understanding? But before that let us see what according to AGI, the answer to the first question, 'what is good children's literature' is

Good children's literature encompasses books and stories specifically written for young readers, ranging from infants to teenagers. It includes a diverse array of genres and styles, from picture books and fairy tales to chapter books and young adult novels. The purpose of good children's literature is not only to entertain but also to educate and foster imagination, empathy, and critical thinking. Through engaging narratives and relatable characters, it often addresses themes that are relevant to children, helping them understand the world around them and their place in it.

One can see, that according to ChatGPT 4o mini, (the source of this response) goodness of children's literature is defined quite profoundly. Stating the variety, audience, purpose, skills for development, role of the reader etc. Quite impressive, must say.

This took me back to the obvious question- can an AI tool create good children's literature? I was immediately taken to a page with a plethora of resources, CreateBookAI was leading the charts- https://deepgram.com/ai-apps/createbookai, So, I went ahead with it and was able to sign in through vey easy steps. The next thing you read is: No books yet, get started by clicking the button below. A list of questions again..

Listing a few questions:

1. Which time period does the story take place?
2. What is the moral you want to convey with the story? (Courage/ Tolerance/ Charity/ Justice/ Honesty/ Wisdom). Well, I wanted to include another value of physical strength, however did not have the option, thus played along and randomly selected- Honesty. But as luck would have it, I forgot to put in the data and submitted for the next set of questions when a pop up stated: 1 error prohibited this book from being saved: Book prompt: moral can't be blank. I wanted to check what ChatGPT 4o mini 'thinks' about this 'error'.

On typing in a question: Care to share an example of good children's literature in Hindi and english language? In a fraction of a second this pops up.

Certainly! Here are examples of acclaimed children's literature in both Hindi and English:

In Hindi:

• "???? ?????" (Chacha Chaudhary) by Pran: This is a beloved comic series featuring Chacha Chaudhary, a wise and clever old man who solves problems with his intellect and wit. It's widely enjoyed for its humour and engaging stories.

In English:

• "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak: This classic picture book tells the story of Max, a young boy who sails to a fantastical land of wild creatures. Its imaginative narrative and illustrations have made it a timeless favorite.

Both of these works are celebrated for their storytelling and ability to captivate young readers, each in its own cultural context.

Maurice Sendak's Classic: Where the Wild Things Are, is also one of my favourite titles too. Not necessarily for it 'cultural context' though. So this got me hooked (not yet convinced though, as I seem to have asked a general questions), I typed: Are moral stories important for readers as young as 3 or 4 years?

Yes, moral stories can be important for young children, including those as young as 3 or 4 years old. At this age, children are beginning to understand and interpret social norms and values, and moral stories can help introduce these concepts in a simple and engaging way.

While the answer was not in affirmative as compared to CreatebookAI, thus safe to say, that ChatGPT 4o mini was not so restrictive around inclusion of moral values in children's literature. Although it provided a lot of reasons why moral stories are beneficial for young readers. like: Social-Emotional Development, Understanding Values, Language development, Cognitive growth and Cultural and ethical awareness etc. Towards the end it provided a short note:

When choosing moral stories for very young children, it's important to ensure that the messages are conveyed in a way that is age-appropriate and easily understandable. Illustrations and simple language can help make these stories engaging and meaningful for young readers.

I further enquired, 'what if a story lacks moral value' and here came a very impressive response again :)

A story that lacks explicit moral value can still be valuable and enjoyable for young readers. Here’s why:

1. Imagination and Creativity: Stories without overt moral lessons often stimulate imagination and creativity. They allow children to explore fantastical worlds, characters, and scenarios, which can be enriching and entertaining.
2. Literary Appreciation: Even without a clear moral, a story can help develop an appreciation for language, narrative structure, and storytelling techniques. Exposure to different styles and genres fosters a love for reading.
3. Emotional Experience: Stories can evoke a range of emotions, from joy to sadness, without necessarily imparting a moral. These emotional experiences contribute to a child’s emotional development and empathy.
4. Cultural and Contextual Learning: Some stories reflect cultural traditions, historical contexts, or everyday life experiences that are valuable in themselves, even if they don’t carry a direct moral lesson.
5. Encouraging Critical Thinking: Stories that don’t have an obvious moral can encourage children to think critically and form their own interpretations. This process helps them develop their reasoning and analytical skills.

In essence, while moral values are an important aspect of many stories for children, a well-crafted story—regardless of its moral content—can offer significant benefits and enjoyment.

So then I typed, asking for a story in Hindi language that did not necessarily have a moral value in it.

One example of a story in Hindi that is more focused on entertainment and imagination rather than explicit moral lessons is: "????? ????" (Jadoo Ki Ped) In this story, a magical tree grants various whimsical wishes to the protagonist. The narrative revolves around the fantastical elements of the tree's powers and the fun adventures that ensue. The primary focus is on the imaginative and playful aspects of the story rather than imparting a moral lesson. Such stories can be enjoyable for children as they stimulate their imagination and creativity without necessarily conveying a specific moral message. They highlight the joy of storytelling and the pleasure of engaging with fantastical worlds.

I wonder who the protagonist in this particular script would be, and what does a fantastical world imply? What do you think?

Anyway, on asking who the author was, it showed:

I apologize for any confusion earlier. It appears that "????? ????" (Jadoo Ki Ped) is not attributed to a specific well-known author but rather represents a type of traditional or popular folktale that might be shared in various versions and adaptations.

Here I got a little curious and asked a rather silly question: When you say 'I apologize' who are you? To which it responded:

When I say "I apologize," I'm reflecting a conversational style intended to make our interaction more natural and polite. I don't have personal experiences or emotions, but I aim to assist you as effectively as possible. My responses are designed to help and provide accurate information based on my training and available data.

So clearly, this particular AI tool like others has responses designed/coded to provide accurate information, based on available data. Well this is absolutely no new information, here is precisely where creation of children's literature by an AI tool vs a human being come starkly alive.

I next asked for a short story to be created for 5-6 year olds readers, without a moral value.

The Curious Cloud and the Magical Garden

I then asked for a short story to be created for 5-6 year olds readers, without a moral value and any magical element

Timmy’s New Bike, ????? ?? ?????, Poem- Sunny Day: The sun is bright, the sky is blue, Birds are singing, and so are you.Let’s go outside and play today,Under the sunshine, let’s have fun and sway.

I wonder, if 5-6 year old readers would want to come back to this script (and others the AI tool shared) for all the critical characteristics that were claimed above in its definition of good children's literature.

According to an article by Coursera- What is AI? Definition uses and types, it states-

'Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technologies that enable computers to perform a variety of advanced functions, including the ability to see, understand and translate spoken and written language, analyse data, make recommendations, and more.' Further it states: 'Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and act like humans. Learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language comprehension are all examples of cognitive abilities.

While AI may have a range of applications with the potential to transform how we work and our daily lives, for example, in analysing statistical data, virtual assistants, or wearable devices in the healthcare industry, self-driving cars.. it definitely is not programmed well enough to think like humans when it comes to creation of good children's literature. One of potential benefits of AI according to the coursera article is:

Ability to quickly generate new content, such as text or images.

And one of the Potential dangers is:

Potential for bias or discrimination as a result of the data set on which the AI is trained.

I think there is a contradiction here for the following reasons: a) What use is there, of a new text that is generated quickly, but is loaded with bias or discrimination? b) What will a reader benefit from a write up that is a-contextual and highly didactic in nature c) What use there is of text for the teachers/ educators that is generated quickly but lacks the necessary and sufficient characteristics of good children's literature? None I suppose.

Ideation and creation of good children's literature is a serious educational endeavour that language teachers and educators should engage in. Teachers have first hand access to learners' cognitive, socio-emotional and cultural experiences. They can develop knowledge and understanding about the idea of language and how it is dependent on human understanding. Eminent Cognitive theorist Jean Piaget, has written about human learning extensively. How morality (the idea of right and wrong) matures in human thinking and understanding is just one of the critical theory he has deliberated upon.

Writer Manorama Jafa explores the universal characteristics of good children's literature which potential authors can refer to. Prof. Kishna Kumar (eminent Indian educationist) deliberates on the need to explore language, human leaning and creating and using good children's literature as he states in his work, Child's Language and the Teacher' The best reading material that children can have for learning to read, is what their teachers prepares for them. And this is precisely what we at the Teacher Author program are attempting to do. Encouraging primary school teachers, students of education and children's literature enthusiasts to be as creative as a human mind could be when it comes to writing good children's literature.

P.S: Fortunately the ChatGPT4o mini conversations screened in this blog, do not imply divulging in the unethical act of broadcasting confidential material. It 'permitted' me to use the same.

References:

1. Barrow, R. and Wood, R. (2006) An Introduction to Philosophy of Education (4th Edition), Routledge: London and New York (Creativity p142-154)
2. https://www.coursera.org/articles/what-is-artificial-intelligence
3. https://cloud.google.com/discover/what-is-artificial-general-intelligence
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h799e4tJJBU

A novice AI explorer

Sheetal Paul

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