A Poet Challenges AI to a Duel

As a poet and writer for my entire adult life (and lately, a student of arti), I’ve viewed Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a threat to human creativity (dare I say, human existence.)

Until today, I hadn’t sought help from artificial sources, but I was curious to see how AI would respond to one of my poems. So, for the test case, I picked an inspirational poem that’s received positive reader-responses.

 

Wait!

Wait for God

to respond.

He hears.

He turns toward His crying child.

He reaches down into your clay crib

and brings you up, high,

high,

into His bosom.

He sets you on His shoulder.

He jostles you on His knee.

And when you're comforted and quiet,

He holds you closely

and teaches you to speak,

to pray.

 

Here’s the same poem, rewritten with Artificial Intelligence (AI.)

 

Wait!

Hold in hope,

for God's reply.

He listens.

His heart turns to His tender child.

He leans down into your fragile soul

and lifts you up, soaring,

soaring,

into His warm embrace.

He carries you upon His back.

He gently sways you on His arm.

And when you're at peace and silent,

He whispers close,

teaching you to speak,

to pray.

 

As you reread both versions, ask yourself:

Is the AI version an improvement?

Does it sound poetic as you read it aloud?

Is a crying child the same as a tender child?

Which is easier to envision – a fragile soul or a clay crib?

Have you ever seen parents carry young children on their shoulders? Is that the same imagery or the same feeling a child might get when carried in a backpack?

If you jostle a young child on your knee does that equate to gently swaying a baby on your arm?

My point is that when AI took over, it instantaneously changed the imagery, lost the poetic rhythm, and produced a sugary version that failed to create anything fresh or new. Now I cannot speak for technical writings, data summaries, or prose in general, but it would seem that poets who take their work seriously have nothing to fear.

If we give our poems the time they deserve to reveal something new to us and our readers and/or if we find fresh ways to express our thoughts and feelings (neither of which AI possesses) poets, writers, musicians, artists, and human beings of all ages will, Lord willing, remain irreplaceable.

 

Mary Harwell Sayler

"Wait" (my version, not AI) was previously published in the Explorer, Letters to a Priest Anthology, and book A Gathering of Poems.