AI Kerfuffle

If you've been following the news lately, there has been a lot about artificial intelligence (AI). I think the terms AI and machine learning are quite misleading; computer software isn't intelligent and can't learn the way human beings do. Humans 'train' computer software using existing data to create a 'model' of the data. Then, humans can use this software model to predict new data. We had quite a discussion about AI-generated content at the production meeting. The result was a change in our submission policy and this portion of the recent Letter From the Editors:

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We find ourselves contending with what was once a science fiction concept: AI-generated content.

Those of you who have seen the updated submission page or our blog will know that Electric Spec does not accept machine-generated or assisted content--meaning stories or artwork. We don't have space in this letter to review all the pros and cons of the various ways automated tools are impacting the creative landscape. Yet we can encapsulate our reasoning in two basic points:

1. As anyone who has read the recent news about Clarkesworld magazine knows, machine-generated stories can be produced in such quantity so quickly that they flood the submission process. We simply do not have the time to sift through so much material.

2. We believe the most critical function of creativity is about human connection. An artist reveals something of their inner self--their soul--with their creation and communicates their perspective, imagination, and uniqueness with each person they touch with their work. No matter how deftly it imitates human creativity, machine-generated content lacks that essential quality.

So as you read this issue's stories, think about how they allow you to touch the life of each author.

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Hopefully, all this will end up being a minor kerfuffle...
Keep reading Electric Spec for human-centric stories written by humans!