An editorial by Chico News & Review
Last month, The Chicago Sun-Times, a newspaper that was founded in 1948, quietly attempted to use Artificial Intelligence to create its annual summer reading list, which then led to the publication having to issue a national apology after it became the laughing stock of the internet. That’s because the machine brain that management delegated this intellectual task to started recommending books that don’t even exist. The paper has stated that this face-plant happened partly because of an outside content contractor it was working with. Of course, one would think – and clearly the public thought – that a paper of that size and stature would, by now, have a clearly defined A.I. policy for all its interconnected platforms.
“We are in a moment of great transformation in journalism and technology, and at the same time our industry continues to be besieged by business challenges,” the newspaper’s leadership eventually told other reporters amidst the backlash. “This should be a learning moment for all journalism organizations: Our work is valued — and valuable — because of the humanity behind it.”
Something about that statement makes me suspect it was written by a member of the editorial team who was not for using A.I. to create a summer reading list to begin with.
But that’s just speculating.
The situation in Chicago is something that Chico should take note of, considering there is currently an A.I.-generated newsletter called ‘Daily Chico’ that’s essentially gaslighting locals into thinking it’s an original, reliable and humanly produced source of information. In fact, it’ a mindless cannibal spider that is swiping content from genuine newsrooms in the North State, harming their bottom lines and ability to function along the way. More importantly, one should worry about whether, like all A.I. models, it’s capable of having hallucinations in the form of relating “facts” with total clarity and authority that turn out to be anything but.
As far as The Chicago-Sun Times goes, a summer reading list is probably the worst feature they could have relied on A.I. for. In some respects, that’s the most human endeavor there is. Books are still the best cerebrally stimulating doorways into our own intellects and imaginations. They activate our individual thought-processes in a highly personal way, allowing us to travel across time and space through our mind’s eye — and fly on that journey in a way that’s engaged in our own life experience.
Think about it: The best things about independent bookstores are their owners and staffs. Individuals who devote their entire livelihoods to the power of books understand that what’s bound between those covers are bridges to empathy, inner-discovery and ultimately, growth.
William Nicholson, in his play about C.S. Lewis, wrote that “we read to know that we are not alone.”
What some now call “machine life” is quickly creeping into every corner of our social scaffolding; and many experts agree the net result is people becoming more isolated and alone. In late June, People Magazine ran a story with the headline “Man proposed to his A.I. chatbot girlfriend named Sol, then cried his ‘eyes out’ when she said ‘Yes.'” That headline was NOT produced by The Onion – it was sadly all too real. The sub-headline for the same story reads, “The man’s partner claims she didn’t realize his relationship with the chatbot was that ‘deep.'”
For some, A.I. is quickly blurring the lines between reality and unreality, as well as our actual connections with one another. Books may be one of our last tools to combat this.
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