Doubling Down on Being Human

With all of this talk of AI, we thought our ship should step forward and let you know in which direction we’re sailing.

What’s the deal?

Same as it’s been for generations: a new technology has come along and scared the beezeebus out of us all. You don’t have to write alternative history to recognize the trend. Just ask the buggy whip makers when cars became popular or the weavers when textile mills took over the industry. As technology progresses, it usually improves society’s way of life while making some of the careers within society obsolete.

As the most recent technology to shake up the publishing industry, artificial intelligence threatens the livelihood of cover artists and writers. It’s thrown some of us into a panic, just like the buggy whip makers and the weavers of old. What are we supposed to do if the machines can do what we can do? Where do we fit in if we can be replaced by inorganic material that’s faster and cheaper than we are?

How It’s Affecting Us

Many publications are having issues with AI content flooding their inboxes with subpar submissions. Click here to read a bit. It’s annoying, but I have a feeling the same technology that caused the problem will offer solutions to it. Surely, there will be a skimming program that can tell pretty readily if a piece is AI generated and filter it out before the human acquisitions editor is tortured with it. Worse thing, we have to send more rejections because the subs are so bad right away, they’re easy to spot.

But that’s not what I’m worried about. The AI platforms are learning. I’m not naive enough to believe they’ll never be able to create coherent works of fiction. I’m positive they will be, especially with hands-on human control of the process. Heck, I can’t say such tools wouldn’t make tasks like writing blogs so much darn easier. More on that later.

What I’m worried about are the authors who use the AI tools to create content faster than any human can compete with. The real threats are people who type in their ideas–every author I know has an unlimited supply of ideas–and let the machine fill it all in, then go back and revise it and make it look organically created. It could even be argued that it’s just another tool vomiting out that first draft based on the author’s own inspiration. So what’s wrong with that? Well, nothing I guess, except that leaves out those of us who can’t keep up with that production speed.

Or does it?

Don’t Panic

Wise words I read in a book somewhere. Yes, this emerging technology offers new challenges. Yet, I’m of the opinion that fighting progress and the integration of new inventions is a losing battle. Instead, I choose to embrace it. But this time, it is my livelihood at risk. That should change my perspective, right? Not really. Because I don’t think it’s at risk. To read a chill perspective on the changing times, check out this transcript of Joanna Penn talking with Dan Wood and Michael Anderle.

Remember those buggy whip makers and those weavers? A century or two later, those jobs still exist. But the only people making a living using those skills are the ones who doubled down and became artisans of their craft, who became more valuable than they’d been at the height of the career because all the people putting in minimal effort faded away. Only those who dug deep and truly had something to add to the craft survived.

That’s who we are; that’s what we do. Cursed Dragon Ship Publishing specializes in horror, fantasy, and science fiction novels written by lovers of those genres. We strive to offer you unique voices in this field from authors who write one or two books a year that they pour their heart and soul into. So when you read them, you will feel it. Every time you read one of our books, you’ll go on a grand adventure both mentally and emotionally. And maybe, just maybe, learn something about yourself or your fellow humans you hadn’t known before.

Wanna Play Along?

We know you do. That’s the fun part of this whole thing.

In that vane, we’ve opened up our company Discord to our fans. Please join us for insider information, direct contact with our authors and editors, and a general vibe infused with the love of all things horror, fantasy, and science fiction. Click this link to come on board as an honored passenger.

We want to up our convention game by traveling to pop culture conventions all over the country. Let us know where you’d like to see us! Our next adventure is June 9-11 at Dallas Fan Expo. We’ll have authors Kelly Lynn Colby, JM Jordan, Gregory D. Little, and Ligia de Wit ready to sign their books and talk with you about the awesome projects they have in progress. We have special gifts you can only get by meeting us live. So if you’re anywhere in the Dallas area this weekend, come and see us here.

We’re not afraid of this new tech, but we can’t deny our humanity either. So come take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage or wear a cloak made from hand-woven cloth. We’ve got enough for everyone.