It’s hard to see what space I occupy in the middle of technology. ChatGPT presents itself as a strong opponent. He writes faster than I can and he does it efficiently. He manages to replicate the styles of other authors, fooling the most distracted, despite having an aseptic command of the language. For now, he is a specialist in English; communication in Portuguese is clearly poor. However, it is a matter of time before it reaches a satisfactory level.
When you do, two questions arise: will you be able to supplant me and, if so, who will I be if what you have to offer society ceases to be differentiating or relevant? I write because it’s what I know how to do and this competence gives me identity. There is time to develop other interests, to mold the personality. But I do not want. Sometimes I like who I am.
It is true that technology can only rival me in procedural matters, in the execution of operations. Now, writing as a noun has another part: ideas. These remain the sole responsibility of humans. True artists are defined by great ideas and their materialisation. Artificial intelligence assists with the latter. It therefore came to democratize art, making it possible for anyone to be an artist, for anyone to write. Just the immaterial.
Having arrived here, I have two reflections to present about two films, both animated, both by Pixar. The first one is in the movie The Incredibles – The Superheroes. There is a scene where Elastigirl explains to her son that “everyone is special”. In response, Arrow mutters, “That’s the same as saying nobody is.”
Now the most optimistic take. In RatatouilleGusteau, the culinary genius whose legacy drives the plot, writes a book titled Anyone can cook, embittering food critic Anton Ego. Close to the fall of the curtain, Ego recognizes that the chef you’re right: not everyone can become a great artist, but “a great artist can come from anywhere”.
I don’t know if the execution of the machines will be able to match the novelty of the words of Gabriel García Márquez or the lines of Vincent Van Gogh. However, I know it will help to unearth works and thoughts from wherever they are hidden.