10 Comments
User's avatar
Serena Agusto-Cox's avatar

This is as always informative. I appreciate your perspective as I write in the technology space for a client, and IBM is working with LLMs currently. It's fascinating as it is scary for creative types.

Expand full comment
Alma Katsu's avatar

Thank you!

Expand full comment
Jonathan Urban's avatar

Great explanation! With a technology background, I've kind of been hesitant to see what AI is all about. This is probably the first I've purposely read about it.

Expand full comment
Alma Katsu's avatar

Thank you. Most of the time it's technical stuff, which puts off non-tech people. And the parts that are important for society, like how OpenAI ended up infringing of copyright, isn't explained.

Expand full comment
Jonathan Urban's avatar

Apparently, we haven't learned anything from the Terminator films, because while AI is in its infancy, I can clearly see where it might one day infere we are not needed.

Expand full comment
Angela Yuriko Smith's avatar

Thank you for this excellent explanation, Alma. As you know, I have a tremendous respect for you as an author, professional and person. I've been pro-active AI from the first moment it came into my personal sphere of awareness, which was when ChatGPT 'suddenly' popped up for most of us. I believe it's in our best interest as writers (and creatives in general) to make sure we are actively engaged in these discussions. We can't pretend AI doesn't exist, but we can retain some control in how it develops.

Expand full comment
Alma Katsu's avatar

It's kind of a bad break that this is happening just as you're taking on the presidency of HWA. Developing policy in a highly fluid situation is a bear. I've seen some HWA member reactions and while I understand where they're coming from, I wish they would take a breath and see what other writers organizations are doing (we HWA has done). The sad truth is that genAI developers will continue to bake it into more and more programs. There will be little to no transparency about where it's being deployed, what's being done with data, etc. It will be harder and harder to opt out entirely, just as it is to stop your data from being harvested and sold, or to function in the modern world without electronic payments or cloud computing. We need oversight and regulation now before it's too late to put the devil back in the box.

Expand full comment
M. A. Monnin's avatar

Thank you, Alma. Another informative newsletter.

Expand full comment
Alma Katsu's avatar

Thank you

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
Oct 3
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Alma Katsu's avatar

Thanks, Christine. So far genAI is being baked into software that is largely aimed at business-to-business, where it's kind of in beta and helping refine things.

Expand full comment