You know the story with the genie, the one where you rub the magic lamp and your three wishes are granted, or you find a strange exotic bottle on the beach, remove the cork and out comes a genie offering to grant three wishes. What a boon, the protagonist thinks before requesting from the genie "a ton of money." Instantly, a ton of money appears from above and knocks him down dead.
What happens when you ask assistance from a machine? Will a computer be more equipped than a genie in being able to understand what you want? Think of how many times you have to repeat yourself when dealing with A.I. on the phone.
As children we'd listen to genie stories or any stories where wishes were granted and we'd challenge each other to think of the best wishes, the ones that wouldn't be misinterpreted, the ones that would yield the best results. The pitfalls were many.
The heroine might ask the wizard, "I'd like to be the smartest person in the kingdom," and their wish is granted by making all the other citizens bumbling idiots. We might ask to live forever, only to realize that being alive while continuing to age and without family and friends may not be desirable.
We all like to take shortcuts and we fantasize about magic. We imagine ways to save time so we can have fun and do something else other than work.
I love to write, but sometimes the editing part and posting part where I come up with headlines and illustrations can seem like drudgery. So when I was offered the opportunity to request an illustration created specifically for the article I posted last week titled, Rejection Letters Make Me Sad until I Remind Myself, I Can Make Good Potato Salad, I thought why not ask A.I. to make me an illustration. Specifically, I wanted a photograph of a hamster exercising.
The first sentence of the blog is, "Some days I feel like a hamster spinning round and round on one of those little wheels, trying to get to the top." The platform I use for blogging, WordPress, offers A.I. assistance on several ways: 1) illustrations 2) Help with Titles 3) Evaluation of content 4) Summarization 5) Assistance with tags 6) Change in style 7) Answers to questions to assist in research.
This was the photograph they provided.
It didn't look quite right. Cute hamster, I thought, but what is with the wheel? So I tried a second time and mentioned he was in a cage and got this.
Then I thought I needed remind A.I. the hamster was exercising and this photo is what they created. The hamster was literally exercising on a wheel.
I wasn't saving time. I was however learning something about artificial intelligence and its limitations.
Students are using artificial intelligence to help them do research about people and events and I wondered what A.I. was going to say about my writing. This is what I found and I was very flattered.
"Nadja Maril is an accomplished writer with a unique voice and a talent for capturing the essence of her subjects. Her work reflects a deep understanding of human experiences and emotions, and she has a way of connecting with her readers on a profound level. Nadja's writing is both insightful and thought-provoking, offering a fresh perspective on a wide range of topics."
There is however, no attribution to who actually has printed or stated this.
When I asked them where I'd been published, this is what they provided:
"Nadja Maril's work has been published in a variety of publications, including magazines, newspapers, and online platforms. Some of the places where her work has appeared include The Baltimore Sun, Chesapeake Life Magazine, What's Up? Annapolis Magazine, and Maryland Life Magazine. Additionally, she has contributed to websites such as Examiner.com and Patch.com, showcasing her diverse writing portfolio."
Not totally correct, as I've never written for The Baltimore Sun, or Maryland Life , and they left out all the literary magazines I've appeared in. Thus I would not recommend that anyone use A.I. for definitive research. Better to search for primary sources.
Sometimes I ask A.I. for help with creating a title. I usually don't use the title they provide, but it prompts me to think in alternate ways. Always I take advantage of the additional taglines they suggest. You can never have too many tags to attract readers. I suppose if I need a summary, A.I. can help me with that too, but it is dangerous to rely on A.I. for substantive content and research. In conclusion, proceed with caution. Once the Genie is released from captivity, it has the power to do a great deal of damage.
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