AI is stealing writers’ words and jobs…

[Henadic Theologian]

Religion's decline is slow and it will likely never disappear. It's also easy to conceive scenarios where an existing or a newly invented religion spreads like wildfire similar to how Christianity once did.

Religion's decline isn't slow, it's none existent. Many religions are increasing in size.

 

[Andvari]

Religion's decline isn't slow, it's none existent. Many religions are increasing in size.

There are a few countries where religion is growing, such as India and Russia, but globally, the tendency is the opposite, particularly in countries like the United States, where it's been on a slower decline for a long time, but where this decline has accelerated in recent yeas. Due to increasing population the amount of religious people is actually increasing, but at a slower rate than the increase in the amount of of non-religious people.

There are many speculations on why the current decline in religion is happening, but a greater sense of existential security is a commonly speculated cause.

 

[Stalker0]

The biggest fallacy I see in these discussions is that we’ve “been here before”, with the Industrial Revolution and replacement of manufacturing jobs. We replaced those jobs so the same should hold true now right?

The problem is…all jobs are a combination of physical and intellectual effort. We took care of a lot of physical labor before, and now its intellectuals turn. Once AI is sophisticated enough to be trained on new jobs….there isn’t a new job you could make that would be safe for humans. Sure humans might do the job for a few years while the AI gets trained…and then you need a whole new job to get the cycle going.

We also have to remember that the Industrial Revolution led to massive wealth disparities, with the masses working mindless exhausting dirty labor that beat up their bodies. It took a long time to come out of that to a cleaner healthier work environment for the masses.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Publishers are going to be releasing garbage textbooks and non-fiction. Perhaps I have too much faith in consumers/reviewers/librarians/etc., but I think that AI will show itself and these publishers are going to get trashed.

AI is very bad at writing. The best I’ve ever seen still write with all the skill of a 7th grader, at best.

 

[dragoner]

The system profits from exploitation, same now as in the Industrial Revolution, and the response should be the same, to organize in defense, so we can say no, we won't be exploited. Remember that the industrialists gave us nothing, we took it then as was our right to take. We made the world a better place, not them. #FightThePower

 

[trappedslider]

The system profits from exploitation, same now as in the Industrial Revolution, and the response should be the same, to organize in defense, so we can say no, we won't be exploited. Remember that the industrialists gave us nothing, we took it then as was our right to take. We made the world a better place, not them. #FightThePower

"Workers of the world, unite!"

 

[dragoner]

Not unironically I am on the other side of the equation as a publisher. However, as I said in business school, I am fine with unions, as it reduces my work on the balance sheet, of course as a small businessman; it would be different as a large employer. I don't think it is good for business to center oneself in any controversy, nevertheless I would advise other publishers to not use AI as while I have never had classes in art, I have had them in business law. The court will merely see the word training as copying, and copying copyrighted material ... So it goes.

 

[Cergorach]

It’s wild that anyone who cares at all about artists and writers of any kind would support this tech.

I absolutely support this tech.

That there are crappy people out there that screw people over is not a new thing introduced by this tech. Are some people going to lose their job over this tech? Absolutely! That matters greatly to those individuals that lose their jobs, as it does every individual that loses their job. Will it replace all writers and artists? Hell no! It's a tool, tools allow you to do more with less, this is no exception. Jobs tend to require you to keep up and become proficient with modern tools, if you can't, you're screwed! But that is a 'you' problem. This happened when the computer was introduced to the workforce, the Internet, the search engine, etc.

If you get paid 40% less because they expect you to do 40% less work, you do 40% less work. #1 you either left a big hole in you contract or #2 you have no interest in keeping your client to it's contractual obligations. If you're running a business (writing) and you have either or both these issues, it's not the problem of AI that you're loosing your job... That might seem harsh, but too many people have no business running a business. And having specific job xyz isn't a right, it's a necessity and/or a privilege, if your job isn't needed anymore, why keep it artificially intact? That sounds like a very conservative point of view...

What I'm seeing, again and again, with new tech is that certain types of managers/decision-makers have hasty conclusions based on tech that they don't understand and their company haven't actually tested the use-case for their particular niche. I've been in IT for a long time, I've been making my own position obsolete for over 25 years and I've also been let go at times when I wasn't done making my position obsolete yet. What happens is after six months they call you if you could please help fix their issues again for the next couple of months. Sure, no problem! This is my new (higher) rate. Why is it higher then six months ago? I've more experience, learned new things, and my skills have become more in demand... After 25 years I'm still in IT, but I'm not doing the same thing in the same way as 25 years ago, not 10 years ago or even 2 years ago. Why would writers/artists be any different? Are manuscripts still handwritten? Or typed on a typewriter? Sure, maybe a few do, but most companies will not work with generic writer/artist who still handwrites the manuscript, unless he/she/them is a star. Anne E. Johnson is not a star.

Imho this tech is only as good as the people using it. If it's not old writers/artists using it, then new writers/artists will use it!

Do I care about artists and writers? No, not really. It's like saying, do I care about humans? Not really, most are crappy and I don't know all of them. Do I care about some artist and writers, maybe. But I'm also a realist that says, if you can't hack it in your chosen profession, maybe you shouldn't be in it...

 

[overgeeked]

Do I care about artists and writers? No, not really.

At least you put it succinctly at the end. Tschüss.

 

[Scribe]

Do I care about artists and writers? No, not really. It's like saying, do I care about humans? Not really, most are crappy and I don't know all of them.

I mean at least we are to the honest end point of the discussion here.