The Wilson Post
LEBANON WEATHER

Cheryl Lewis: It’s getting wordy over here




CHERYL LEWIS

I have friends who are old, really old. They remember things I’ll never see, times we read about only in the history books.

My kids can say the same about me, since I lived when there were no microwaves in every kitchen and laptops and cell phones were just a farcical concept on “The Jetsons,” an animated show Saturday mornings. I used corrector ribbon on my typewriter to painstakingly correct mistakes made as I attempted to create a single sheet (on paper, not screen, mind you) of unflawed writing.

It feels obvious, at times, when we’re stepping into the pages of revolutionary change. COVID, of course, will be a marker that everyone notes as a before/after time in history. I also remember the first time I saw a long www.Internet address on a billboard; I snorted and said aloud, “That’ll never take off. Too cumbersome.” It just seemed so awkward and unlikely.

Well, here we are, marveling that there was a time when websites and Google searches didn’t exist.

It seems we’re on the cusp of another tidal shift in how things are done — and I must admit, I’m not sure I love it. I’m torn, really, because this change is deeply personal. I’ve been a professional writer my whole life. Crafting language well has been my pursuit and favorite pastime ever since I dotted my first “i.”

Have you heard about Chat AI? I’d heard murmurs about something new that can write ably upon request about … well, anything, really. I steered clear at first, because everyone “knows” China is manipulating us through TikTok, so geez what if this is also some ploy to sneak into our personal information?

After hearing friends I admire go on and on about the remarkable feats of this new artificial intelligence writing tool, I decided to see what the buzz is all about. I gave it a simple task: “Write about love.”

“Love is a complex and multifaceted emotion that is experienced and expressed in various forms by humans. It is an emotion that has been explored and celebrated in literature, art, and music for centuries, and yet it remains an enigma, a mystery that cannot be fully understood or explained. Despite this, it is an emotion that we all seek, desire and cherish throughout our lives.”

The words swiftly spilled onto the screen, but felt formal, stilted, so I then asked it to “Write a funny essay about love.”

“Ah, love! The one emotion that can make even the most serious person go weak in the knees, babbling like a lovesick teenager. It is the one feeling that has the power to turn your world upside down and inside out. Love can make you do crazy things, like running through the rain just to see your beloved or reciting poetry in public, even if you can’t rhyme to save your life.”

I was stunned by how instantaneously it shifted gears. It’s true that on one hand, I’m awed and a bit mesmerized to see writing that is not mine scrawling across the screen in response to my simple request as I watch, transfixed. I’m also a bit horrified, because it’s good.

Really good.

I decided to challenge it. My next prompt? “Write a sarcastic essay on love.”

“Ah, love. The feeling that has caused wars, ruined friendships, and made people act like complete fools. What a wonderful emotion to aspire to! If you’re looking for a good time, look no further than love. Because let’s face it, what’s better than pouring your heart and soul into someone, only to have them break it into tiny little pieces? It’s like a roller coaster of emotions, and who doesn’t love feeling like they’re going to throw up on a roller coaster?”

Well, I obviously needed to up the game. So, I demanded, “Write an incoherent essay on love.” Instantly, a new thread began to unfurl upon the screen.

“You know, love is like, wow, you know? It’s like this thing that makes your heart beat really fast and your stomach all twisty-turny. And sometimes it makes you feel really good, but other times it’s like, why am I doing this? You know? Like, sometimes you meet someone and it’s like, bam, sparks fly and you just know that they’re the one. But other times, you’re like, why did I even bother swiping right on this person? You know?”

Like, oh my wow.

I just may be in love … but sure hope my writing clients don’t want to break up with me soon.

Cheryl Lewis lives in Watertown and has won top awards writing for newspapers in Alabama and Georgia. She can be reached at cheryl@almostfirewood.com. Do you think calculators should be abandoned since it’s possible to do math without them?

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