I hesitate to inflict upon the world yet another opinion piece on the threats and benefits of AI. Having played around with ChatGPT and done some research on it I will say at the start that I’m convinced it’s the next big thing—and probably the next big threat. That’s why they call this kind of tech disruptive.

For a writer the threats are obvious. I’m predicting 2029 for the first bestseller written by a machine. As for the benefits, I’ve just finished reading a four-part blog on how to use ChatGPT to fine-tune tag lines and blurbs. Many writers, especially self-published ones, experiment endlessly with both to boost sales and freshen up their home pages. Some hire outside experts. ChatGPT can present a different angle. It’s like having an infinitely variable collaborator. You could take your existing blurb and task the app to rephrase it with edgy words none of which is more than five letters.  

For a writer CGPT’s most obvious use is as a smart thesaurus. On the basic level you can prompt it (prompt is the verb for cuing CGPT) with a sentence containing a blank for the word you’re searching for and see what comes up. If you want a second or third word choice hit “regenerate”. That’s basic. To give the app context you can insert the full paragraph, preceding paragraphs or the entire chapter. Hit regenerate a few times and you will probably get an interesting answer. If not, give it more specific instructions on what you are looking for.

In my experimenting with CGPT there were two instances where it was flat out factually wrong. That was particularly jarring  given its assured and authoritative tone. 

Like the internet itself it’s too easy to fall down a time sink. The conscientious writer could spend hours hunting down the optimal word, priming the prompt pump for le mot juste. I’m more interested in CGPT’s ability to understand humans and our nuances. Or to be more grandiose about it, our humanity.

To test the app I gave it the below prompt purposely full of moral and relationship gray areas. What follows is the unedited prompt and CGPT’s full (and is it ever full) response.

Prompt: Jack is married to Char. It is his second marriage and her first. Luna is Jack’s daughter from his first marriage, to Helene. Jack is 50, Char is 38 and Luna is 24. Luna is happy for her father that he has a new partner. She tries to like Char, wants to like her but her feelings and her loyalty to her mother get in the way. By now, Luna and Char are guardedly neutral towards each other but Luna has said too many sharp comments for there to be much goodwill between them.

Luna arrives home unannounced, a four hour drive. She visits to see her dad but also to ask Char for a favor, a reference for a job in the same industry that Char is very successful in. This is a morally complicated request since a reference cannot come from someone the job candidate is related to.

Opening the door with her own key Luna sees a strange woman standing in the kitchen. From what she is wearing it is obvious that her visit has been more than just visiting. Luna says, “…

ChatGPT reply 3 seconds later (underlines mine): Hi, I'm Luna. Who are you?"

The woman turns around and introduces herself as Karen. Luna looks at her with suspicion, wondering why she's in her father's house, wearing what she is wearing. Luna's mind races as she considers the implications of this situation. She wonders if her father is having an affair and if Char knows about it.

Luna takes a deep breath and tries to stay calm. She says, "Nice to meet you, Karen. Is my dad around?"

Karen looks at Luna with a hint of discomfort and says, "He's upstairs, I think he's on a call."

Luna nods and makes her way up the stairs, trying to compose herself. She finds her father in his home office, on a video call with a client. He sees Luna and quickly wraps up the call.

"Dad, can we talk?" Luna says, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Of course, honey," Jack says, looking concerned. "What's going on?"

Luna takes a deep breath and tells him about her job search and her need for a reference. She explains that she knows it's complicated because they are family, but she really needs the help.

Jack nods and says, "I understand, Luna. Let me talk to Char and see if she knows anyone who might be able to help you. We'll figure something out."

Luna thanks him and starts to make her way back down the stairs. As she passes through the kitchen, Karen is still there, making herself a cup of coffee. Luna can't help but feel angry and betrayed. She takes a deep breath and tries to keep her emotions in check.

"Excuse me, Karen," Luna says, trying to sound civil. "Do you mind telling me how you know my father?"

Karen looks surprised by the question but quickly recovers. "Oh, we met through work. We're just friends."

Luna narrows her eyes, not quite believing her. "Right. Well, it was nice meeting you, Karen."

As Luna leaves the house and starts her long drive back home, her mind is filled with questions and doubts. She wonders if her father is really having an affair with Karen, and if Char knows about it. She also wonders if she can trust her father to help her with her job search, given what she's just seen. It's clear that Luna's relationship with her father and his new partner is complicated, and she's not sure how to navigate it.

End response.

My prompt came with no instructions, no “write a short story based on.” I presented it with a scenario and left CGPT to decide what I wanted. I marvel at the way it blithely adds its own fictional detail, naming the other woman Karen, inventing a home office upstairs etc. And one huge mistake. Would Luna drive four hours, see her father (who shows no surprise) for a few minutes, dodge Karen coming and going and then get in her car and drive back? A sense of time passing is an ever-present challenge to a writer.

On one level I suppose CGPT is merely parroting various short stories and novels it has absorbed. But still…notice I carefully said nothing about a sexual relationship with “Karen”. The app inferred it from my clue about dress (but Karen could have been a nurse, a maid, a repair person). Does CGPT understand that Karen’s “we met at work. We’re just friends.” tips the story toward an affair? In which case does it know Karen is lying? And by “know” I mean keeps that in “mind” if it were to keep writing this story?

I’m not convinced that CGPT understands these interrelationships and the emotions it conveys, but I sure find the above reply spooky in many ways. For all its messing around with my initial premise (mine, you see, mine) there is one aspect that really sticks in my craw. How dare ChatGPT presume to name one of my characters?