It’s Saturday, and according to the weather service, the danger from the Canadian wildfire smoke is gone. That’s good news as we’ve been summoned outside to clean and fill the bird baths multiple times each day since this soot-filled week began. There were some seriously dirty birds around here. As luck will have it, I came in from the clean and fill cycle and found Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt:
“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘the last thing you filled.’ Think about the last thing you filled or the contents you filled it with and use one or both of those things as your prompt. Enjoy!”
I guess my work here is done. Oh, wait. David has a question and a scary proposition.
“I gather you’re going to be busy next week, if you’ve cancelled Thursday Doors.”
“It’s not so much the doors that are the problem, David. I don’t think I’ll have time to respond.”
“Can’t you let AI handle that?”
“Don’t get me started about WordPress and AI, David, but I don’t think they let you craft comments yet. Although I assume someone will come up with Comments-As-a-Service, sooner or later.”
“Well, you could spend your time replying to others, but save time by letting AI write your other posts.”
“I enjoy writing my posts. Besides, I like to think that since AI draws from stuff that’s already been done, it couldn’t imagine what I might imagine.”
“Try this for a prompt, Dan—’Craft a story in dialogue featuring a wanna-be author, his handsome, intelligent and successful friend and a comically inept bartender.’ I mean, that might work.”
“Handsome, intelligent and successful…? I assume that’s you, and since you used the word ‘inept,’ you better not be referring to Cheryl.”
“No, not Cheryl. Skippy.”
“Speak of the devil.”
“Hi guys. I hope you haven’t been here long. The Modelo keg kicked, and I knew Dan would want a glass.”
“Did the John Howell’s Bourbon bottle kick, Skippy. If not, I’d like a glass of that.”
“I know, David. And a snifter of seltzer and a glass of ice and a few cherries. I’ll be right back with all of that.”
“I think he’s pretty ept today, David.”
“I don’t think ept is a word, Dan.”
“It’s a joke, David. It might end up being the only way to tell something was written by a human.”
“Humor. You don’t think AI can write humor?”
“AI can probably write humor, maybe even jokes, but I’m not sure it can be snarky. I think Maureen would see right through that.”
“Here you go guys. A John Howell’s Special and a cool crisp Modelo.”
“Skippy.”
“Yes Dan.”
“Can you give me the rest of my beer after the froth settles?”
“No problem. It gets like that with a new keg.”
“Cheers, Dan. So, I take it you’re not worried about AI taking over your writing enterprise.”
“It’s not AI that’s the problem, David. It’s the greedy companies that will try to figure out ways of making money off AI.”
“So, if I ask AI to ‘Find a quote about greed’ and publish it for Linda G. Hill’s One-liner Wednesday, you don’t think it could do it?”
“I’m sure it could, David, but there’d be no backstory.”
“Um, Dan, some people might find that to be an improvement.”
“See, that’s what I mean, David. You think AI would add that comment to this dialog?”
“Probably not. Unless I told it to write the post in the style of Don Rickles.”
“Bringing us even closer to plagiarism. Why not ask for it to create a gallery of squirrel and bunny photos, while you’re at it?”
“AI might require me to use the word ‘rabbit’ but I’m pretty sure it could do that, Dan.”
“I’m certain it could. I have enough photos on my blog to satisfy that prompt.”
“But you’re not worried about this whole AI thing?”
“I’m not worried about some AI-driven algorithm writing blog posts and books like I would. It can scan everything I’ve ever written, but it doesn’t know what’s in my head.”
“God, forbid they make that leap of technology.”
“Actually, David, they already have. Researchers in Europe have found a way to read the brains of some ‘locked in’ patients. Researchers in New Jersey have done similar work.”
“That could be good for some people.”
“That’s the problem with all technology, David. It can be good, but it can also be misused and abused.”
“But, if as you say, AI can’t pretend to be you—not that I can imagine it wanting to—what’s the worry?”
“Say someone set up a blog, link it up to a bunch of advertising programs and start pumping out stories. It’s one more blog out there that’s competing for eyeballs with mine.”
“Do you really think that would make any money?”
“If it runs in the background on someone’s computer, it doesn’t have to make much. It’s like email scams—how many have to work if they sent out a million emails?”
“I guess you’re right. And there are enough extreme topics out there to get someone to click on that blog instead of yours.”
“Thanks, David.”
“No problem.”
Reminder: “Knuckleheads” the first book in the Dreamer’s Alliance series, is still on sale. This is one of Amazon’s Countdown sale, so the price will rise back to the pre-sale price on Tuesday. The link to all the books is in the part I keep plastering at the bottom of each post.
All five of my current books are now available in audio book form thanks to Amazon KDP’s Virtual Voice process. The voice is AI generated, but I can honestly say, it’s pretty darn good. The audio books are reasonably priced (all below $7 US) and, if you already own the Kindle version and want to add an audio version, you can do that for $1.99. There is a five-minute sample on the book page for each book. If you’re interested, click on any of the Dreamer’s Alliance book links below the image or on the link below for my latest book.
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