No, ChatGPT Isn’t the Death Knell of Creative Expression
ChatGPT.
Its taken the world by storm.
It’s gained millions of users in a fraction of the time that Facebook, Netflix, and Instagram did.
It wrote a speech that was read on the floor of Congress.
It was banned in New York City public schools.
CEOs are using it to write emails.
Academics are worried that it will alter the landscape of teaching.
And these are just a few notable stories.
ChatGPT might be able to do all of this and more.
In some cases, it might be able to do some of these things well.
Will ChatGPT change the human experience?
Of course it will and that’s ok as the human experience is always and only changing.
One thing—the most important thing—that I seriously doubt AI will ever replace is the innate human need for authentic storytelling.
Human beings are creatures of story and narrative.
Across millennia and generations, our ancestors evolved in communal settings that centered on narratives involving gods and heroes, conflict, and creation.
We used narrative to build cities, civilizations, empires, and fortunes.
From ancient Rome to contemporary America, our national and cultural identities are wrapped up in stories, from Hercules to Luke Skywalker.
The authenticity that we as humans find in these stories is what makes them so powerful.
The need for authentic storytelling and mythmaking is central to our existence.
It’s how we create context, meaning, and value and navigate the world.
Stories about, by, and for humans will always find a way to be told.
ChatGPT and whatever AI comes next will never change that.
$0.02