Should Creative A.I. be Classed as a Service Animal?

Some months ago there was a brief flurry of wry interest shown by the public around a gentleman?(who shall remain nameless seeing as my memory has failed me) being refused entry onto a domestic airline in the United States due to the fact that he had with him his invaluable Service Turkey.

I think this was deeply unfair - who are authorities to classify support animals into categories that evidently include ‘approved’ and ‘Prized Thanksgiving Entree’?

The point is that assistance is sometimes necessary. It is a way to ease the burden of modern society on many who might feel that the challenges of the challenges of the 21st century might be insurmountable.

That brings us semi-neatly to AI and the fluster it is creating among those who write for a living.

In a previous post, I suggested such hype was unfounded (after spending some time with ChatGPT).

After spending further time getting to know other AI content generation software, I am even more convinced that the common perception of current AI iterations as a first step towards the takeover of our robot overlords and their Minions of Robotic Floor Cleaners is flawed.

If anything, AI Content Generators need a Service Animal.

That would be professional writers. The output of AI is stilted, clumsy, and falls neatly into a creative ‘uncanny valley’. It is sometimes more puzzling than downright ‘bad’.

But business loves technology, and people like to panic. The frisson of excitement that comes from running around with your hair on fire is obviously a substitute for considered thinking.

Before we panic let’s frame our observations with a question – and an observation.

Question – why are sites offering job opportunities for content providers (previously known as writers) where a deliverable is to rewrite the output of AI?

Observation – remember Boolean Search Queries? There was a time when Search Engines algorithms weren’t as ‘intuitive’ as they are today. You had to be familiar with a way to structure a ‘Boolean Search Query’ if you wanted valid results quickly. Boolean Search requires that queries be structured in a certain way to provide results.

I wonder when part of the job requirement for nascent content providers will be some sort of certification as a ‘Master of A.I. Query’.

So, no reason to panic. Each and every evolution of content and the way in which it is sourced will provide new opportunities.

Remember, it was not so long ago that research required a library card – times change.