Opinion | An Experiment in Lust, Regret and Kissing

🌈 Abstract

The article describes an experiment between author Curtis Sittenfeld and the AI chatbot ChatGPT to write a "beach read" story. The key points are:

• Sittenfeld and ChatGPT were given prompts from readers about desired themes for a beach read story, including lust, regret, kissing, middle-age, etc.
• Sittenfeld and ChatGPT each wrote a 1,000-word story based on the prompts, and readers were asked to judge which was better.
• Sittenfeld reflects on the differences between her own writing process and the speed at which ChatGPT generated its story, suggesting that the human approach brings more nuance and depth.
• The article explores the capabilities and limitations of AI writing compared to human creativity.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Experiment

1. What was the purpose of the experiment between Curtis Sittenfeld and ChatGPT? The purpose was to see the difference between a story written by a human (Sittenfeld) and a story written by an AI (ChatGPT), in the context of a "beach read" story.

2. How did they determine the themes and prompts for the stories? Readers voted on desired themes for a beach read story, including lust, regret, kissing, as well as some themes common in Sittenfeld's fiction like privilege, self-consciousness, and ambivalence. Readers also provided additional suggestions like naps, redemption, tattoos, puppies, secrets, etc.

3. How did the writing process differ between Sittenfeld and ChatGPT? Sittenfeld spent over a week writing and revising her story, getting feedback from friends and family, and even visiting the setting in person. In contrast, ChatGPT generated its story in just 17 seconds.

[02] Comparing the Stories

1. How did Sittenfeld evaluate the quality of the stories? Sittenfeld found ChatGPT's story to be "proficient on a sentence level but clichéd, and also shallow in sentiment." She felt it lacked the depth and nuance of her own story.

2. What specific techniques did Sittenfeld use in writing her story that ChatGPT did not? Sittenfeld did things like:

• Start writing before knowing the prompts
• Visit the story's setting in person
• Incorporate real-world details like a local Bowie cover band
• Get feedback from friends and family
• Carefully choose character names and details

3. What did Sittenfeld find most unsettling about ChatGPT's writing process? Sittenfeld was most unsettled by the fact that ChatGPT generated its entire story in just 17 seconds, in contrast to Sittenfeld's more deliberate and nuanced approach.

[03] Conclusions

1. What was Sittenfeld's overall assessment of the human vs. machine writing experiment? Sittenfeld concluded that for now, she is "still betting on people" over AI when it comes to creative writing. She felt the human approach brought more depth and specificity that was lacking in ChatGPT's story.

2. What does Sittenfeld see as the key differences between human and AI writing? Sittenfeld suggests that human writers can bring more nuance, emotion, and attention to detail that is currently lacking in AI-generated writing. The reader suggestions also reflected a mix of "colorful, ridiculous, funny and poignant" qualities that Sittenfeld sees as uniquely human.

3. What does Sittenfeld's experience suggest about the current capabilities and limitations of AI writing? Sittenfeld's experience suggests that while AI can produce competent prose, it currently lacks the depth, creativity, and emotional resonance of human-written stories. The speed and efficiency of AI writing is contrasted with the more deliberate and nuanced human approach.