By Colin Ahern – Contributor

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized various industries, but falls short in the domain of creative writing. While AI has demonstrated prowess in realms such as healthcare and finance, its application in literary creation unmasks limitations that hinder its ability to replicate the nuances of human expression.

One challenge AI faces in creative writing is its inability to grasp the depth of human emotion and experience. Creative writing is not merely a technical exercise; it requires a profound understanding of human sentiment, culture and context. AI struggles to capture the intricacies of emotions and infuse them into storytelling. In preparing for this article, I asked ChatGPT to write me a short story about photography. The text was vapid and bland (and featured far too many adverbs). At first glance, it appeared to follow a young woman who was photographing an amusement park, but there was little beyond the image of cameras capturing the ephemeral. The story was juvenile in scope and took an extremely utilitarian approach to creating meaning; photos are of things in the past, therefore a camera is a bridge to the past. The text read like a seventh grade creative writing submission.

Furthermore, creative writing is an inherently subjective process. It involves personal experiences, unique perspectives and an individual voice that reflects the author’s identity. AI, operating on algorithms and patterns learned from vast datasets, may produce coherent text, but it often lacks the idiosyncratic touch that makes writing truly authentic. The distinctive flair, personal style and the ability to convey a writer’s worldview are elements that AI struggles to replicate. For example, if we consider Raymond Carver’s short story Cathedral, the text is riddled with syntactical errors that generate a voice of humor and irreverence that endears the narrator to the audience. AI generated stories tend to read like a shopping list that has been infused with hackneyed expressions. The writing tends to appear stiff and lifeless on the page, devoid of mood.

Fundamentally, creativity lies in the ability to break free from established norms. While AI can analyze existing works and generate content based on learned patterns, it leans heavily on predictability. The very essence of creativity lies in pushing boundaries, defying expectations and exploring the uncharted. AI is limited in this sense and frequently leans on physical links between ideas to create meaning.

When asked to analyze Walt Whitman’s Songs of Myself, ChatGPT omitted any mention of his concepts surrounding existing in places through influence and desire. Much of the poetry collection refers to our ability to transgress space and exist anywhere that we are thinking of or being thought of. This is a seminal piece that completely revolutionizes theories about the self by presenting individuals as unique and powerful beyond the realm of the physical. In short, he blurs the boundaries between the self and the universe. 

While AI has undoubtedly carved its niche in various industries, its application in creative writing remains fraught with challenges. The complexity of human emotion, the subjectivity of creativity and the need for unconventional thinking pose significant obstacles for AI systems. While these technologies may assist in generating text or providing inspiration, the heart of creative writing lies in the uniquely human ability to express, explore  and innovate — elements that remain elusive to the realm of artificial intelligence.