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Brian, I think that there will always be some who won’t want machine-generated art. And we have to ask ourselves what function some writing-and reading- have always served. The great mass of Harlequin romances: not distinct, not special. The great mass of “magazine” fiction-crime, mystery, syfy, romance, supernatural, erotica: not distinct. Yes, yes, I know some writers always stood out, blah blah. But the readers who always just wanted a nice romance or a predictable mystery could well be served by AI. I don’t think the readers of Danielewski or Musil or Carrington could be well served by AI. All that said, I am seeing a landscape of literary samizdat, perhaps indefinitely. Writing by writers for readers. Desperate and poorly compensated, of course.

Of course, an advertisement for AI bursts into your video. Of course.

I don’t have my original LOTR paperback boxed set that I got for Christmas when I was 10 or 11 and I really wish I did.

Our daughter and son-in-law are editors/writers in different capacities in London and both have said that they fear their jobs will no longer never be there in a few years time. They may just be responsible for monitoring AI input. So what about their niece, my grandaughter, who is about to start at university with the hope that she can follow her aunt and become a journalist/writer . . . scary stuff.

There's a surprising number of AI written or substantially AI written books in the package of ebooks Hoopla serves up to libraries.

Just as there are people using AI to do good, so there will be people using AI for bad. I am very afraid for those latter ones. I work at a library and I have had different workshops and talks about AI, everyone is very positive and look at what is possible. But I just think about the egomaniacs out for a buck and how they will misuse AI...

When people realize that women are publishing books under names that are not gender specific, or under male pseudonyms, many claim that they will never be "fooled" by these women, because the writing is clearly inferior. The same is true of black writers. Even those who quote St. Augustine of Hippo as a philosopher. Will AI produce mindless McNovels? Most of what is currently published already falls into this category. Will new fields of literature be developed by AI or is AI going to just imitate humans? AI gaming suggests that there will be ideas that no human used before, or that no human used in the same way. We may be freed from the requirement to work to obtain our needs and be required to make decisions for ourselves about the use of the majority of our time. Some will go the "Brave New World" route of entertaining ourselves to death/slavery. Some will be productive. Some AI will probably also be productive in creative ways not imagined by their ape creators I am less pessimistic about our future AI rulers, than about our future human rulers. .

i liked it more than fwtbt lol

I shared this with my world. Until about a month ago I had no real strong opinion on AI, as you said a poor term for what it actually means/does. I am a visual artist and have used AI, without knowing it in some way, to gather images from the internet if I need a reference for a drawing I'm doing. Now I see all the way around it. It would take several pages for me to explain to anyone all my thoughts on this now. TY for succinctly putting many of them here,

Very thought provoking. Thanks! AI is terrifying to me. I mostly read older literature, but what could stop an interested party from tweaking that content to further their nefarious ends? How can we not become more paranoid? I'm 70 now, and fervently hope things won't get too horrible before I pass.

This is the first I’ve heard of publishers looking into replacing writers with AI. Do you have any links to this news?

I haven't even watched this yet and I just have to say OH MY GOSH YES. I hate it so much. So so much. SOOOOOOO much. I avoid it wherever possible. It KILLS me that sometimes I can't avoid it. AUGH. Ok, now I'm going to watch your video. =D Edit: Re the algorithm: My son and I have had several discussions about this. Back in the day I never ran out of things on YT to watch. It was always fun and interesting. Since the algorithm started serving up to me variations on a theme my watching has become more tailored, less diverse, and thus less interesting. I used to have to put a time limit for myself on YT because there was always something else I could be watching. Now I get bored and go read a book or watch a film instead. It's made YT much less interesting, much more bland. I think that's to your point. It's "good enough". But it really isn't. The algorithm is definitely a downgrade. Further edit: Re living to 100: Lol! My husband says that too. His goal is to ride 100 miles on his bicycle on his 100th birthday, and to train for that he rides 100 miles every year on his birthday. Me? My Grandmother and Father both died when they were 72. That seems like a good age for me. Which means I've got 17 years of life left. TBH, that might be a little too much for me. This world is devolving fast and I'm not enjoying it. ....it occurs to me that recent events might have me a little depressed... =D

P.S. great piece (with video!!!) in the New York Times just today from Hank Azaria about how sad it would be/will be when AI can replace the over 100 voices he has done for the Simpsons.

Did you have to drag the poor Kallax Shelving Units into this conversation???? All they ever wanted to do is hold our books and tchotchkes!

“Actual old books” have pedigree. It comes down to a matter of trust. Sure, even a great art collector like J. Paul Getty paid for forgeries, but won’t it still come down to individuals making choices?

I love when you’re that old man! You should have a standard screenshot image of yourself shaking your fist at the world for these videos!

Uh, I hope you'll forgive my dumping more and more thoughts here! I was just thinking about your closing points about telling people, falsely, what to believe as if it's fact (like a supposedly more authoritative Fox?). AI *could* be used for good in this way if humankind lived up to its bygone ideals; e.g., AI would know a lot about economic history, know that, e.g., trickle-down economics don't work, and certain policies favored by Democratic presidents are better for the economy. Bur humans often don't care what works or what is better for the greater public. At all.

To take your Big Mac analogy - there are still plenty of people who want to eat and pay for handmade, higher quality hamburgers. There's a market for that kind of hamburger...and it's actually a decent market! Following with that analogy, we could assume there will still be people who want to read and pay for "handmade" books. There will still be a market for it. However, the issue then becomes who can AFFORD the "handmade" or "artisanal" hamburger/book. It becomes about class and access. Luckily...for books we have libraries (for now!!!) so it's not exactly the same as hamburgers. I have no fear that people-written books will go away. But maybe it will be even more expensive to access them. Which of course causes all sorts of other issues, including political (to your last point about owners of AI tools pushing certain agendas, and if certain segments of the population are only exposed to ideas through AI-generated content, and other segments of the population can afford more than that - what will that do?)

Great video on a topic that will be more and more important. I’m a professor and I see the effects of AI on younger generations. In addition to AI and corporate/government interests controlling information, we also have a generation of young people who are growing up using AI, not learning critical thinking skills or the process of thinking and writing, which includes among many things doing research, evaluating information, organizing it, etc. So a mindless generation of people who will just believe what is fed to them, unable to evaluate the validity of information. Add this to attacks on education and we are going down a slippery slope.

I was thinking much the same. My primary initial fear being the flattening and "mediocritizing" of the arts. As you say, if any presentable schlock that's churned out is copacetic for consumers, a vanishing amount of space remains for original, human-made work of any quality. I wondered if, as they're trying to do with education, the wealthiest might try to arrogate quality artworks, maybe even existing and classic works, to themselves, leaving the greater public bereft of exposure to great, or just real art. It gets more and more like an episode of the Twilight Zone (I'm sure this plot has appeared various places I'm now forgetting) where humans lie still, being fed all they need at a baseline level, increasingly passive and inward facing. Hell we are fairly close now without the incipient AI smash-and-grab.

I, for one, don’t appreciate your derogatory comments about the Big Mac. Shame on you for slandering this work of culinary genius. Interesting fact: I never tried a Big Mac until about a year ago. Not too bad…. I’ve had a few more since. On a serious note, I’m all commented-out from the livestream the other night, but great commentary. I might ask ChatGPT to craft a response to this video and come back 😉

As long as AI takes over every type of job, I would welcome it. Then we could move to a post-work, leisure economy. As Marx said, fishing in the morning, writing a poem in the afternoon. Of course, we have not been educated for this and for many, their identity is wrapped up in their job, so taking that away without training them for a post-work world would be traumatic. AI churning out sludge doesn't preclude us from writing poetry in the afternoon, and indeed, maybe it lowers the stakes for artists of having to make back advances, or selling out a theatre.

Great discussion, Brian. Did you read or hear about the AI fiasco that occurred on the fable app where some people are now recording their reading? Some people received really insulting end-of-year summaries that definitely reflected a political agenda. For example, people who read many works by people of color were told that maybe it was time for them to read some works by heterosexual white men. Now, supposedly, fable has “apologized,” for all that that’s worth. It was pretty horrifying to me. As I said in the livestream, I also have novelist friends whose work has been, in effect, stolen by AI. As a teacher, I think everything that you are talking about here makes it increasingly more difficult to teach critical thinking, analysis, and writing. Thanks for continuing the conversation, Brian.

When you described a future where information is controlled by corporate interests through AI it was notable because I think this type of dystopia already exists in the consolidation of news media. The corporate media landscape of the United States has been described as an oligopoly and I think AI will likely continue to exacerbate that problem. Most news media editorializing is famously out of touch with people because it already doesn't represent their interests anyway.

I heard something the other day in a children’s writers group that I’m in which has industry people running it. Agents are discouraging children’s authors from writing fiction for the early chapter book readers (6-8 year olds) because these will very soon be farmed out to AI. Horrifying and a flavour of things to come. As a teacher, I can see the benefit of AI tools in reducing workload and have used some myself for work, but our Prime Minister over here has decided that this is the way to relieve teacher stress rather than improve teachers’ working conditions! This angers me and also concerns me for the future of education. As someone who trains young teachers in an age where they already cannot plan a lesson without accessing the Internet or adapting pre-existing planning because there is so much of it available, my biggest concern with it is these tools will replace the thinking behind the planning rather than being an aid. I think I was one of the last generations of teachers to train pre-Internet and I find it unbelievably frustrating that the skills of creating bespoke planning for the children you are actually teaching are being eroded already because of freely available plans online. I frequently observe new teachers and when we come to discuss and dissect their lesson and their reasons for choosing particular pedagogical strategies or designing resources in a particular way , they frequently tell me that it was in the plan! As if they are detached from the planning and don’t have to consider the needs of their class! At best, I worry that this will cause subpar, one-size-fits-all, generic plans that will be produced by AI which are going to heavily reduce the quality of planning and teaching in the next generation of teachers - very much the McDonald’s model. My worst fear though involves the control of the content of what is taught and that actually terrifies me. One thing I’m pretty certain of is that AI cannot replace a teacher in front of a class of children particularly young children who need human care and attention. Thanks for the discussion - it’s an important one!

I completely agree. I know there are lots of benefits to AI but equally like you said in terms of the creative industries it certainly looks like it is heading in direction where lots of jobs could be threatened. I can’t even think about it beyond that in terms of governments as that’s just awful. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us Brian 😊

AI is great for medical and surgery (not much for art and religion) 😂 Great Thought Ideo going back w Emerson 💡 I routinely delete my YT Search Hostory in hopes of receiving new & different channels (am I achieving my purpose in doing so, I wonder)?!?

This is just a bad take on this book in my opinion

Yep, know the feeling. Still missing one Raymond Chandler book with the cover by a particular artist whose name escapes me at the moment (same fellow who did Lou Reed's first album cover). Had to have all of the same publisher James Bond books. Keep my slip-cased John Gardner set even through I have no intention of reading The Sunlight Dialogues again, because I like The Wreckage Of Agathon.

Thank you for the recommendations! So much to add to my tbr! Thank you thank you!

I think in these discussions we also need to look at popular videos with teen boys and young men. From what I've heard, it is popular in the "manosphere" to label reading as a feminine hobby. As a 35-year-old woman, I can't verify where the algorithm takes young men, but I do work at a university and have had conversations with students about it.

I still have the Tolkien box!!!

This is a great list-appreciate the mix of literary history, personal nostalgia, and the sheer desire for a well-designed shelf. That Lord of the Rings box set loss stings-funny how certain editions stick in our minds. The Patrick O’Brian spines forming a scene? Completely get the appeal. And James deserves the hardcover treatment. Cool way to think about books beyond just content.

Brooo,no way you 56.you look good brother no homo

Seems like some good hunting at used books stores- I recommend Beckers! I want all the penguin cloth bounds- they are the ones I love to just look at on my shelves.

I think this was less a review of William Faulkner's masterpiece, then it was an opportunity to spread more union-based ideology and Southern guilt. I just finished The Unvanquished today and don't resonate with any of your review, but then again everyone has a RUclips channel nowadays. I truly believe Faulkner would be rolling in his grave.

I've mostly read translations from Asia recently, this just is a nice reminder to look for other countries again. Good list.

I just did this tag! So when I saw that you have too I immediatley stepped over to say hello, sub, and watch. Kia ora from New Zealand.

I can commiserate with wanting complete sets. I desperately want all 14, 1st edition Baum-authored Oz books.

I love this idea for a video. I've been enjoying the ones I've seen so far. You have a great list for your best shelf!

Your quest to get the full picture of the O'Brien books is commendable, and I think you MUST do it now. In my dreams of winning the lottery, I would have bookshelves like those of Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady filled with The Penguin Classics Library Complete Collection, which I guess runs about $15,000. Sigh. I'd still probably be as lazy a reader as I am, but one can hope.

I only own a few dozen books. I gave thousands of books to the library after I abandoned paper for digital (audio or epub). I can usually find whatever image(s) I want to represent the book in my digital library. I use Calibre and love it. Getting rid of all of those books was initially uncomfortable, but it allows me so much space for other things. .

I actually have the hardback edition of James though I would have bought the paperback edition instead if it had been available at the time. The paperback of The Sound and the Fury you showed is the same one I have and I was glad when it came in the mail to find it in mint condition. I’d had it before and lost it and thought they were no longer printing that very nice mass paperback with the painted cover. Anyway I’m not in a position to purchase expensive first editions though I’m about to start on Annihilation by one of my fave authors Michel Houllebecq. Price: THIRTY BUCKS! Well you only live once, right? Be well.⚛️❤

Thanks for this. I also had a full dose of Faulkner in my 20s, and recently thought about doing a full Faulkner, and didn’t get past a few pages of Soldier’s Pay.

I can make no contribution to this other than I would like my copy of Burroughs' "Ah Pook Is Here" that succumbed to muy shed's mold outbreak. I want it back cos it's now worth £100 and I'd sell it for that

I have that box of tolkien books!! I am missing 1 of the soft covers from it, tho! Pretty sure I found the box at a rummage sale or thrift shop bc it's pretty beat up. If I ever spot another, I'll snag it for you!

I love this topic and your version of the video. Here's hoping some of your book dreams come true!

🎉

Somehow I had forgotten that you have said you don’t care about how books look-maybe because that feels so normal to me. As I have been thinking about this tag, I realized how little I care about beautiful books. What I do love is sets of authors’s books that match-and books that aren’t falling apart, which some of my old favorites are.