Summary

The website content discusses the author's experiment with AI technology, specifically ChatGPT, to write a poem about magnolia trees, and reflects on the quality and accuracy of the AI-generated content.

Abstract

The author, McCaylee Putney, explores the capabilities of AI in creative writing by prompting ChatGPT to compose a poem about magnolias, a subject of recent fascination due to her relocation to South Carolina. Despite the AI's use of poetic couplets and its initial promise, the poem veers off into vague and factually incorrect territory, leading the author to conclude that while AI can assist with idea generation and writer's block, it cannot replace human writers. The AI's output requires significant human intervention for fact-checking and to imbue it with a more human-like quality. The article includes a disclaimer that a portion of the text was AI-generated and features a photograph of magnolias by Christina DiBernardo.

Opinions

The author is skeptical about the threat AI poses to writers and artists, believing that human creativity and oversight are crucial.
ChatGPT's poetry is considered subpar and factually inaccurate, particularly in its representation of magnolias as a symbol of doom and its claim that magnolias bloom year-round.
The author suggests that AI can be a useful tool for writers, but only as an aid for generating ideas or overcoming writer's block, not as a primary content creator.
The author emphasizes the importance of thorough fact-checking and editing when using AI-generated content to ensure its accuracy and authenticity.

I Asked ChatGPT To Write A Poem

It’s about magnolia trees and ChatGPT made some broad claims.

Photo by Christina DiBernardo on Unsplash

Disclaimer: A portion of this article was written using AI technology.

Where did this idea come from?

If your social media feeds look anything like mine, you’ve seen a million posts and articles about the new world of AI technology and how it could be a threat to writers and artists. I don’t know much about art so I decided to try it from a writing standpoint.

I asked ChatGPT to write a poem about magnolias. They’re a recent obsession of mine because I’d never seen one before we moved to South Carolina, but, other than that, it was just a random topic to experiment with.

The Poem

Magnolia Trees

The title definitely could have been more creative, but we’ll see where this goes.

Gentle swaying in the breeze,

Whispering secrets to the trees,

Magnolia blooms in all their glory,

Telling tales of an ancient story.

Right off the bat, we see ChatGPT decided to use couplets so it knows a little bit about poetry. Let’s read more about the secrets and ancient story.

A symbol of grace and purity,

A tree of endless beauty,

Magnolia stands tall and proud,

A true work of art, never to be bowed.

Nevermind. I guess we’re moving past the secrets? What about the story?

Petals soft as a feather,

Faintly perfumed, a scent to remember,

A sight to behold, a vision so rare,

Magnolia trees, the fairest of all fare.

They’re beautiful and smell fantastic so we might be on the right track again.

Amidst the darkness, a beacon of hope,

In the wilderness, a boundless scope,

Magnolia trees in their resplendent bloom,

A shining example, a message of doom.

Here we’ve really lost me. A beacon of hope but also a message of doom? Which is it? I can’t find any information about magnolias symbolizing doom.

This article states they represent nobility and purity in the US.

https://urbanstems.com/blog/guide/magnolia-meaning

Time may pass, and seasons may change,

But the magnolia tree remains the same,

A reminder of nature’s divine order,

A masterpiece, to be admired evermore.

They don’t bloom in the winter so this isn’t exactly true.

Final Thoughts

I don’t think writers have anything to worry about. The writing was subpar and it was factually inaccurate.

AI could definitely be used to generate ideas or help with writer’s block, but I think that’s about it. If you choose to use AI in your writing, make sure you fact check everything and go through it with a fine tooth comb. You’ll have to change the language throughout to make it sound more human.

This could be a useful tool, but it’s just that. A tool, not an endless stream of content to compete with.

McCaylee Putney has a BA in English and Creative Writing from SNHU. She is working on her MFA in Creative Writing while juggling all the other facets of her life. Follow her here or on Twitter at @mputneywrites to see more of her journey.