It seems you cannot go to the loo these days without AI being stuffed into it.
Case in point:
New iPhones are now becoming pre-stocked with ChatGPT as your virtual assistant.
More and more cars now have AI assistants pre-installed as standard.
Even Hollywood and video game developers are jumping on the technology to reduce costs and create more immersive stories. But this isn’t where I want to focus today’s musing. Rather, I want to channel it on the material that has been fuelling Hollywood and video games since their inception:
Books.
You see, AI isn’t just empowering major tech companies and producers…
It’s also opening the door to a new wave of authors; authors that would otherwise have never shared their stories with the world. I know there’s a lot of controversy around AI and art (and seasoned Legionnaires have long known my stance on this tool), but here’s why I think this is mostly a great thing.
But first, a quick caveat:
Yes, this tech is going to lead to a “flood” of crap entering the marketplace the same way self-publishing did.
However, self-publishing has also produced some of the best stories in a generation, with some even being turned into major motion pictures (like The Martian by Andy Weir, Wool by Hugh Howey, and many more).
My uncensored opinion is that over the coming decade, AI is going to dwarf the number of gems we’ve seen self-publishing produce by 1000-1.
Perhaps more.
Here’s why:
Only a slither of people with a story to tell ever publish it.
(Probably 0.001% of the population if I had to toss a number out there.)
AI is not just lowering the barrier to entry for those who don’t find the drafting process cathartic like other authors do but also for time-strapped professionals, elderly dreamers with stories to tell, and people with neurodivergent and chronic illnesses — creatives who otherwise might never have penned a story in their lifetime.
In other words:
A metric tonne more people.
And while some have genuine fears that book retailers are about to get overrun with mediocrity, I see a world where more voices — voices that would have never made it past the gatekeepers — finally get their chance to be heard.
I strongly believe the next Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, and Robin Hobb is about to be born.
The next great American novel is about to be written.
You might scoff, but it’s a hill I’m willing to bleed out on.
And as a lover of all things stories, I cannot wait to see what this digital renaissance brings. Who knows… perhaps the mighty The Divided Region could be eclipsed—
“NONSENSE!” my ego replies. “The Divided Region can never be beaten.”
Well…
At least I tried to be humble, I guess?
🤷
On that note, if you’re in the market for an epic fantasy that would make even Tolkien’s spirit blush, I recommend my series, The Divided Region, which you can find here:
https://djjwatsonstore.com/products/divided-region-starter-bundle
Just don’t quote me on it. Ever. 😜
DJJW