Author, Not BOThor
A writer trolled online for alleged AI-aided storytelling, has been cleared. There’s a big lesson here for many
A winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, Trinidadian Jamir Nazir, is not a BOThor (bot+author), organisers of the prize confirmed, after their own weeks-long investigation. The absolute storm over online allegations – that so-called ‘AI detectors’ had found Nazir allegedly used AI to author his story – ended flat. Alas, not before accusations went global. Literary magazine Granta refused to publish the winning entries on its website, exiting its partnership with Commonwealth Foundation. That helps no one.
That Nazir’s is an authentic voice, is vindication, and a relief. It reassures us of two things. One, the metrics of judging authentic storytelling, still work in a world 1) seemingly ambushed by AI, 2) despite malicious social media and 3) despite the prevailing language of round-the-clock crisis. Two, there are plenty of authors, aspiring writers, and other creative sorts who refuse to cheat themselves. Authenticity is a deeply cherished value for most in both creative and scientific worlds, so using AI to write stories, or publish fake papers, may hold little to no appeal. Credit to the organisers and jury for not being reactionary to the online slamming, and instead, seeking to understand each of the candidates’ writing process, whereby Nazir’s name was cleared. But, Granta’s short fuse is a short story – of an AI-fuelled sense of catastrophe. Which is, what can be worse than AI gutting the soul of storytelling – the human connection? It is this very (false) belief – the machine is more creative and powerful than the human mind and imagination – that undermines human ability and capacity.
In this case, a writer’s integrity was on trial. Tomorrow, it could be any act of human ingenuity. Are we to be guilty until proven innocent in the court of viral doubt? Institutions have to out-think viral mobs, not cave in under social media trials, or punish authenticity. Adapt. As for an apology to Nazir…does the internet care?
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
