We make things that we hope will be bigger than us, and then we're desolate when that's what they become.
- Richard Powers, Playground
I haven't been able to get into a Richard Powers book—audio or print—even though I know he is an author of the moment, and for the moment, so please excuse a quote from a review of his most recent novel. It suits my cyber-luddite mood today. On Friday I either lost my phone, or it was stolen, probably the latter, troubling indeed, not to mention the trouble of restoring my mobile cyber life. Two days later, the glitches continue. Most hilarious was a phone call I received from an unknown caller, followed by text messages:
Don't you recognize my number?
No. Who are you?
Your daughter.
First glitch: My daughter's contact issue was wiped. Second glitch, more serious: I did not have her phone number stored in my memory. This is not good.
So I ask you, dear reader, how many phone numbers of those near and dear do you have stored in your personal neural pathways?
Technology evolves apace. Not that long ago I wondered about audio books and whether they are a good idea for writers. I have studied its effects on my students, and on me. Is listening the same as reading? If we do not have an auditory memory, how do we retain information, process an argument, or study how the book is made, what narrative devices are used, and so on. I am still not persuaded that listening is truly reading and writers must read, and read deeply. Maybe a writer reading this will disabuse me of my skepticism. Maybe that writer is a musician with a strong auditory memory. Please post a comment if you are such a reader who listens to books.
And now we have AI which is quickly permeating the media landscape and our lives. My new phone is loaded with AI opportunities. Will our children ever be able to generate their own writing again? Will their spoken language suffer? Or will AI enhance their writing, their vocabulary, and their imaginations? Once again, I am skeptical. Especially when I hear that adult friends have made use of the technology, already depend upon it, and are persuaded that it is miraculous. I have seen some of the samples of their AI generated work. Most is awkward and shallow. But when I say, as gently as I can, "This needs revising," they are not pleased. Nor am I that they are so smitten.
Not to mention the ethical issues, the disclaimer necessary when we are posting our writing, or publishing our writing. Thus the banner I am introducing here to all my readers. My website is hosted by the Authors Guild, a venerable writers' organization, and this blog post is authored by me and me alone. I take responsibility for all its content, its point of view, and its skepticism.