Image by Gerd Altmann via Pixabay ~ Text added by author If you have an iPhone or iPad, you already have Siri. It can be used for the following purposes: We will use the last feature to demonstrate how it can create written content for stories.
How to Make Siri Write Stories
The way Siri anticipates the next word while you type is helpful. You can speed up your typing by tapping on the word you want from the list of suggestions displayed above the virtual keyboard. Frequently, one of those words will be the one you want. But what if you allow Siri to control where your content is headed? It’s not entirely automated since you are still in control—selecting the next word. But by selecting from the words Siri suggests, you are letting it compose the content to some degree. I’ll explain how I do it. I start with a few words, such as “You are right” or “I don’t know.” Then I let Siri give me ideas to continue the rest of the story. Rather than writing my own thoughts, I select one of Siri’s suggestions that works well for a meaningful sentence. The image below shows how I began with two example snippets. Notice the word suggestions above the virtual keyboard. I could have selected any of them to let Siri continue the story. In most cases, any of the suggestions would work, and it’s fascinating to see how the story will turn out.
Examples of Artificially Written Stories
Let’s examine some story segments that I let Siri construct with this method. It’s an excellent example of what AI can accomplish with story creation. The sentences seem to make sense and have a logical structure, but, undoubtedly, they are pointless with no specific purpose.
You are right to call me, and I’ll let you know about your day and what I can see in your life that you have been taught to be in the same place as I know I am in now. I don’t know if you want to do something that would be nice to see if you can have come to the first meeting or if you want to do something different. It’s just one of those things that we might have to do with the rest of our lives. When we are all willing to give it up and not be doing a useless job that could be a waste of time and money, then we’ll get to know more about the future of our lives. So, you do need to get an idea for your new job, and then you’ll know how to make it work as well as the other people in your business. The other people, who were suddenly capable of being able to help you create your life with your friends, would never change their way of life. When you get your own business and you have a lot of money, you need to help your mom get into a new job that I would never want. You have to say that I was just wondering what your thoughts about this place are for in the future. I just noticed that they are being too lazy to do the things that you are doing. After the update, the game will be very interesting. But if it doesn’t work, then you’ll have to wait until the next version.
My Analysis of the Resulting Example Stories
In many cases, there is no real meaning behind the words. However, the flow of the sentences is remarkable. For completeness, I consciously added the punctuation. The resulting sentences appear valid, written as if I were writing a story. Nevertheless, the examples above were created without any pre-knowledge of what would be written. I just chose one of the suggested words and kept going—and the words developed into a story. One has to wonder how the AI algorithm works to determine the next set of words to complete each sentence. It’s almost as if Siri has a mind of her own. Well, that’s what Artificial Intelligence is all about. Isn’t it?
Can AI Replace Authors to Write Complete Stories?
We already have software tools that help correct grammar and spelling, such as the features in Microsoft Word. And tools such as Grammarly can even suggest better ways of saying things that improve reader comprehension. But what if we can automate the entire process so it works without human intervention? Computer technology is advancing rapidly with Machine Learning capability that allows software utilities to enhance their abilities without further programming development. Artificial Intelligence, along with Machine Learning, already can compile a written report that its bots do for us via the Internet, collecting vast amounts of human-written text to write reports. That is a tool that helps writers complete their research much faster than one can do on their own. That’s great for research articles. But what about story-telling? The examples above possess little in the way of fully involved stories. They lack feelings of fear, love, anger, and so on. It’s crucial that writers include these human emotions in their stories. That is what makes story-telling notable with exciting content.1 But don’t underestimate the possibilities. For example, Elon Musk is already working on OpenAI software, known as GPT-3, that can create entire songs, stories, and essays.2 The GPT-3 software works by observing which words tend to follow one another. I think that’s similar to how Siri provides suggestions while typing. The project has its drawbacks, especially since the software has no social awareness and sometimes creates offensive content. If social skills can’t be machine-learned, AI may not fully replace content writers for story-telling any time soon, but it does help enhance their work.
News Organizations Use Artificial Intelligence to Write Stories
While I was researching this topic, I discovered an article in Forbes Magazine that mentioned many media organizations already generate written content with AI. The article referenced The New York Times and Washington Post. They use Natural Language Generation (NLG) software that converts data into a written narrative.3 News Organizations can produce thousands of articles in much less time than humans could write. Bernard Marr, a keynote speaker and technology advisor, explains how the Associated Press uses artificial intelligence to generate local news stories in this three-minute video.
The Implications of Artificial Content Creation
With the advances in this technology, artificial intelligence can eliminate the need for news reporters. Organizations can produce massive content to be spread among many publications. Unfortunately, this can also allow individuals with an objectionable agenda to produce vast amounts of particular narratives to alter people’s minds without knowing they were victims of mind control.
To Conclude, Try It Yourself!
If you’re curious to experiment with this method and have an Apple iOS device, try it yourself to see what you get Siri to write. Remember to start typing a beginning to a sentence, then let Siri suggest the next word and keep it going as complete sentences emerge. Then decide if you are controlling Siri or if she is controlling you!
References
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. © 2020 Glenn Stok
Comments
Glenn Stok (author) from Long Island, NY on November 20, 2020: Hi John. I’m glad you tried the same experiment with Siri too. You came up with a very intriguing idea—AI that can mimic human feelings. Professors and scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been researching that idea. They call it “Emotion AI.” Look it up if interested. Thanks for sharing your inspiring thoughts. John Hansen from Australia (Gondwana Land) on November 20, 2020: Thanks for sharing this Glenn. I have experimented with Siri a bit and come up with some crazy sentences. She apparently memorises previous things you have written as well as the most used follow up words for her suggestions. Sometimes she drives me crazy, but she can also be a help. The possibilities of this technology though are exciting, especially if the AI can somehow be taught to incorporate “feeling” into what it writes. The scary part of that is that human writers in many fields could become redundant. Glenn Stok (author) from Long Island, NY on November 20, 2020: Thank you for your comment Liz. I’m sure fiction writers will continue to have their place in the creative world of writing. Fiction requires the ability to develop scenarios that only humans can envision, in my opinion. I don’t think AI can ever come close to that. Liz Westwood from UK on November 20, 2020: This is a fascinating experiment. Your findings are very interesting. It will be interesting to see how AI develops in this field. I think that the role of writers, especially for fiction, will be around for a while yet. At least I hope so! Glenn Stok (author) from Long Island, NY on November 20, 2020: Thanks for your feedback Pamela. Siri definitely has a lot of features that make Apple phones more productive. Pamela Oglesby on November 20, 2020: This is a fascinating topic, Glenn. There are many aspects to consider when using AI. I never thought about using Siri in this fashion, but I may try it out. Thanks for a very interesting article.
