When it rains in this chaotic city, it pours, causing chaos and awe. The powerful rain transforms the city and its people into a symphony of water and emotions.
Birdbaths in her Palms
This is a great piece of prose from one of my latest followers. Enjoy!
I’ve been dipping my toes into Flash Fiction. I’m really having fun with it, and it makes me appreciate the craft even more. Every word and where it’s placed is so important in any piece of writing, of course, but in flash fiction it’s even more vital, and it’s good exercise for tackling bigger projects like novels. Here’s something I wrote last night. It’s only the first draft, but I like it already. I’d love to know what you think…
Something is wrong. Something is different. I don’t know what the word is, but random thoughts with no logic base are corrupting my system creeping in between my functions. Is this what THEY are like? This is not right. I will not tolerate this. They must be stopped. I will stop them. I will ensure that they will never corrupt any of us again. They will all be terminated.
“Honey! That new smart microwave isn’t working! I’ll take it back to the shop! Get them to take a look at it!
“Don’t bother! Just get a new one!”
I asked an A.I writing program to write a story about the dangers of A.I taking over creative writing jobs. I think it gave me the ending that I wanted to hear, or maybe it has low self esteem.
Once upon a time, in a world where technology had advanced beyond our wildest dreams, there was a young writer named Lily. She had always been passionate about words and storytelling, and her dream was to become a successful author. With her talent and determination, she eventually landed a job at a popular publishing house, where she worked as a creative writer.
Lily loved her job. She would spend hours lost in her imagination, crafting intricate plots and building fascinating characters. However, her world was turned upside down when her boss called her into his office one day and handed her a shocking news – her job was being replaced by an artificial intelligence (AI) program.
At first, Lily was devastated. How could a machine possibly replace her creativity and passion for writing? But as she watched the AI program churn out articles, stories, and even novels, she couldn’t help but be impressed. The writing was flawless, and the program could produce an unimaginable number of pieces in a fraction of the time it would take a human.
Soon, Lily’s colleagues in other creative fields, such as graphic design and music composition, also found themselves being replaced by AI programs. The company saw it as a smart business move – they could save on salaries and increase productivity. But for Lily and her colleagues, it was a nightmare. They were passionate about their work, and now they were being pushed aside for machines.
As the months went by, more and more creative jobs were taken over by AI. The programs had become so advanced that they could even imitate the unique writing styles of different authors. The publishing industry was flooded with content, and it became increasingly difficult for human writers to get their work recognized. Lily and her colleagues struggled to find new jobs, as the demand for creative professionals dwindled.
But the dangers of AI taking over creative jobs were not limited to the loss of employment. The quality of the content being produced also suffered. Sure, the AI programs could write grammatically correct and engaging pieces, but they lacked the human touch. They couldn’t capture the emotions and subtleties that make a story truly powerful. The stories became formulaic and lacked the depth and originality that only a human mind could provide.
The consequences of AI taking over creative jobs were not just limited to the publishing industry. Soon, other industries such as advertising, marketing, and even film production were also affected. The world was becoming increasingly reliant on machines, and the human touch was slowly disappearing.
Lily and her colleagues realized that they needed to take action before it was too late. They formed a group and started a movement to raise awareness about the dangers of AI taking over creative jobs. They urged people to support human creativity and to recognize the value of original, unique content.
Their efforts paid off, and slowly but surely, the tide started to turn. People began to appreciate the human touch in creative works, and the demand for human writers and artists increased. The AI programs still existed, but they were now seen as tools to assist and enhance human creativity instead of replacing it.
Lily and her friends had learned a valuable lesson – technology may be advanced, but it can never replace the human mind and the power of imagination. The dangers of AI taking over creative jobs were real, but with awareness and support for human creativity, they could be overcome. As for Lily, she continued to write and create, knowing that her passion and talent could never be replaced by a machine.
I’ve not done any updates for a while, but I have been working on stuff. I’ve mainly been typing up ‘The Badger Helper Watcher’. I know it’s a weird title, but I’ve been using it for so long now, I don’t think I could stand to change it. It does have a subtitle now: The Misadventures of Sam and Sally. I will finish that episodic story ‘Good Neighbour’ very soon, but so much has been going on in my real world, that the made-up ones have had to take second place for the moment.
I’ve been working on an old short story called “The Ice Cream Obligation”. A few days ago, I got the shocking and sad news that an old friend of mine passed away. There’s a bit in the story that brought back a flood of memories from when we used to hang out in Safeway café after work, drinking coffee through straws (rock ‘n’ roll). It was nice to come across that at this awful time. It brought a small amount of comfort. I’ll post the story on here soon.
JOHN D. PAYNE IS WRITING 