Will artificial intelligence become the next “Shakespeare”?

How can artificial intelligence "write" a work that appeals to a human reader?

That’s an easy answer. The writing is based on models, structures, elements and resources that are repeated over and over again, with variations, in the works of narrative from the beginning of time.

In any 17th or 18th century novel you can find narrative resources that reappeared again in the literature of the early twentieth century and that all authors apply to their works in one way or another. For example, one of those elements is the narrative arc.

The narrative arc is the way events are arranged throughout history, from beginning to end. It is related to the argument, that is, to what happens. It is also related to the structure that supports the way the facts are presented. That is, with the plot. And finally, it is related to the character, that is, how the facts affect him or her, how s/he reacts to them and the decisions s/he makes.

Maybe you didn't know what a narrative arc is, but an artificial intelligence system has discovered that, in the fictional narrative, there are only six-story arcs. It was something that Kurt Vonnegut had already anticipated, but artificial intelligence has come to corroborate it. Considering the plot, the disposition of the facts and the character's reactions, there are only six possible story arcs.

1. The one that presents the rise of the character.
2. The one that presents the descent of the character.
3. The one that presents how the character descends after having ascended.
4. The one that presents how the character ascends and then descends.
5. The one who presents how the character ascends, falls, but recovers.
6. The one who presents how the character falls, rises but descends again.

Think about the last books you have read, and you will see how their story arcs adapt to one of these models. Surely the books you have written, or the one you plan to write, correspond to one of these patterns.

So, the real question is: will artificial intelligence replace writers in the 21st century?

Not exactly. What will happen is that possibly anyone who knows the resources, structures, models, and patterns that appear in the best narrative works will be able to write a masterpiece. You just have to learn what the protocols of literary fiction are and how they are handled. Then it will be your turn to practice applying them to your own works. But AI is ahead on this race, so far.

How does artificial intelligence write a book then?

Well, the algorithm understands that a literary masterpiece must contain the following elements:

1. The plot: The plot is the premeditated way in which the events of the plot are arranged to reveal their meaning.Because all the great works have a meaning: hope, weariness, triumph of love, failure of friendship, futility of effort, etc.
2. The characters: the actors of the events that the plot presents and that are embedded in the plot. They are one more force of the narration because their motivation, their idiosyncrasy and their character contribute to take the action in one way or another.
3. The narrator: the one who tells the story. A voice behind which you as a writer hide. The narrator also contributes to creating the appearance of the text according to the type of narrator you choose: in the first person, in the second, in third, omniscient, limited, unreliable, etc.
4. The background and setting: it refers to the events that precede the narrative framework of the story being told. It is the biography of the characters, not only on an external level, but also on a psychological and emotional level; but it is also the history of their previous relationships, as well as the data referring to the place or time in which the action takes place. The setting is the "setting" in which the action will take place and must be consistent with it. If your action takes place in an office, you should locate a coffee machine and a copy room, the boss's office and a rooftop where employees go out to smoke.
5. Descriptions: the tool that allows you to place the reader in the space you want to take him, introduce your characters and make them feel what you want them to feel.
6. The chronology and the use of time: the premeditated order of the story.

Hence, writing is a matter of knowledge and structuring rather than talent, so can we say that AI has talent? Artistic sensibility? Not at all. In fact, it lacks cognitive abilities. But the algorithm has been loaded with data. Lots of it. And the analysis extracted from it is just astonishing.

We must also remember that:

1. Processing data is something that takes less time than human learning.
2. Machines do not take breaks neither procrastinate.
3. An algorithm will not make excuses.

What you must learn from the case of artificial intelligence is that you need to train and go deeper into the knowledge of literature and narrative. That inspiration, talent and "blocks" are beautiful myths that serve to camouflage the writer excuses. And excuses are the limits of human existence.

As an example, you have Kurt Vonnegut. Kurt Vonnegut was interested in the narrative arc before artificial intelligence was more than just a dream close to science fiction. His study of literary techniques made him one of the most renowned writers of the 20th century.

Overall, will AI replace writers? No. It may just support them with data analysis.

The article has been written by Dr. Raul V. Rodriguez, Dean, Woxsen School of Business

He can be reached on LinkedIn.