Storytelling futures
On the future(s) of creative work and AI
Editor’s note: Rather than trying to figure out a singular future of storytelling, this article examines various perspectives on storytelling in the age of AI.
Search interest in storytelling and artificial intelligence has peaked over the past month, perhaps due to conversations about the Writers Guild strike and the threat of AI, the viral AI Drake hit, or just because it’s a generally unsettling topic. With so much talk about the role of AI in storytelling, it’s tough to keep up with what’s happening now, let alone what’s next.
I’ve been up at night thinking about this stuff. More accurately, I’ve been changing diapers and researching everything from infant sleep to college savings plans for my newborn daughter, and in those dark hours I also think about the impact AI might have on our world. Here are some perspectives on the craft of storytelling and AI as it relates to creatives.
Processing
In episode 757 of “This American Life,” journalist Vauhini Vara processes the loss of her sister with the help of the AI chatbot ChatGPT.
Vara writes draft after draft of an essay about her sister, struggling to express her grief. AI stumbles with her, at times getting stuck in a loop of repetitive thoughts.
Then something remarkable happens: Vara finds the words to express how she feels. “Seeing the software do it badly made [Vara] realize how to do it better,” explains host Ira Glass.
Takeaway: With AI, you can share rough drafts and unprocessed thoughts without fearing that AI might judge you. In this way, AI can help storytellers talk openly and honestly about their experiences, understand their emotions, and get unstuck. AI doesn't always get the details right — it’s imperfect, which is, perhaps, its most human quality.
Confessions
Reddit’s head of global foresight, Matt Klein, says that safe, confessional spaces are gaining traction.
“In 2022, r/AmItheAsshole was the number one most viewed subreddit globally, while r/TIFU (Today I Fucked Up) jumped the most spots of any Top 50 community YoY to #27 in 2022. r/TrueOffMyChest further illustrated this movement growing +345% YoY becoming a Top 30 most viewed subreddit.”
The popularity of subreddits that value “radical candor,” as Klein calls it, points to a growing desire for accepting spaces where we can share our stories with each other (not just with AI), own our mistakes, and keep moving forward.
NYU professor Scott Galloway recently said, in our modern economy, the ability to communicate clearly, fearlessly, and vulnerably is paramount.
“You have an idea you understand and believe in, but how do you express it in a compelling manner? Try things out. I’ve had success with extended metaphors, personal anecdotes, and presenting information visually. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to embrace the personal. It comes easily, as I’m a narcissist. But also, people are looking for a connection, and a good way to connect with several hundred strangers at once (or with just one person) is to be vulnerable. Making people feel something bests any business insight. In a remote world swamped by a tsunami of digital information, the rare earth metal is humanity.”
Until a few years ago, I resisted sharing personal anecdotes in my writing because it’s easier for me to tell someone else’s story than unravel my own experience. The first-person requires putting yourself first, if only for a moment, and that can be uncomfortable and scary, yet worth it. Tapping into myself allows me to write something you’re not going to read from anyone else — especially AI.
Takeaway: As storytellers find new ways to innovate alongside AI, we’re going to need safe spaces to test ideas with real people, process emotions together, and learn from our mistakes, too. With safety, good stories will follow.
Voice
Tressie McMillan Cottom reminds us that storytelling is a relationship:
“Voice, that elusive fingerprint of all textual communication, is a relationship between the reader, the world and the writer. ChatGPT can program a reader but only mimic a writer. And it certainly cannot channel the world between them.”
For this reason, I suspect AI will encourage more writers to relate to their audience on a human level in an attempt to cut through the noise of AI-generated content.
Takeaway: Authentic voices have the power to connect with people. In the age of loneliness, focusing on our shared humanity and lived experiences distinguishes us from machines and might just help us relate to each other with more compassion.
Collaboration
“We see the role of humans evolve from creators to editors,” say the authors of a new report from the Board of Innovation on generative AI. Adopting an editor’s skillset could help usher in new forms of human-machine-created stories.
Good editors have an ability to zoom in on the details of a single paragraph and zoom out to the theme of an issue, the voice of a publication, or the arc of a brand narrative. Editors shape stories in collaboration with researchers, reporters, writers, designers, and filmmakers all the time. So if AI becomes another creative in the bullpen, editors can work with AI to ideate, co-create, and distribute content for any organization or industry.
At the same time, the Board of Innovation report suggests that generative AI tools will democratize creative work. It’s plausible then, with new tools to execute on their creative vision, everyone will be a creator.
Takeaway: Creatives may benefit from viewing their roles like editors in the sense of collaborating with AI tools as co-creators and navigating the possible futures of storytelling together. As Galloway puts it, “AI won’t take your job, but someone who understands AI will.”
“AI won’t take your job, but someone who understands AI will.”
Closing thoughts
Predictions about AI and job loss can feel overwhelming, but that is just one possible future. Another future involves gain.
In this decade, AI could help us reclaim our time, increase connection, and even add jobs in the long run, according to PWC. As a new dad struggling to balance it all, this scenario appeals to me.
In any case, these perspectives all point toward more highly crafted experiences and personal expressions, whether created by humans, machines, or both. And that presents opportunities.
In an AI age, perhaps true craft will increase in value. Maybe that could even help struggling sectors in unforeseen ways. For instance, AI is no substitute for independent journalism. Instead, AI offers new ways for creatives, marketers, and entrepreneurs to build relationships with their audience and grow their brands.
Still, uncertainty is unnerving. For anyone feeling anxious about the future of work, I don’t know if this helps, but lately I’ve been reminding myself that AI may replace parts of what I do, but it won’t replace me. No robot can take away your intrinsic value. As the real Drake — not AI Drake — said: “Know yourself, know your worth.”