Artificial Intelligence in roleplays

[Todd Cobbler]

Hi, so in case you haven't noticed - AI is everywhere! I've been involved in improving our AI policy at work (I work at a University for context). Has the University banned the use of AI? Absolutely not, quite the opposite. We are offering support on using AI appropriately.

Anyway, that has led me to the actual topic in hand. What are people's thoughts about the use of AI like Chat Gtp to enhance roleplays and inspire plots? I have a few advantages and disadvantages to get started.

Advantages:
1. At a time where there seems to be a leaving post every other week, AI has the ability to kickstart muse.
2. People who struggle with writing have a tool that can improve the quality of their roleplays. This could bring new people into roleplaying who previously thought they couldn't do it.
3. Time saving in a busy world

And disadvantages:
1. Hinder the enjoyment of roleplaying and the natural development of creative skills.
2. Undermine true creativity. It's a big problem in these AI developing times and I'm interested in hearing people's thoughts on AI in the real world too. It is literally popping up everywhere!

Just for clarity, I'm not talking about AI generated content, I'm talking about AI enhanced content (used to assist or enhance writing).

 

[Aine Thompson]

Hm, interesting discussion! I'm perhaps a bit of a luddite when it comes to AI, I'll admit, but it's more due to the fact that while it promises benefits, where trends seem to go with it end up doing more harm than good. A lot of that is beyond the scope of this specific conversation so I won't get into it too much, but suffice it to say my feelings on AI are more negative with the problems of art theft/non consent of artists/unhelpful use of AI that doesn't take in to consideration the actual needs of the people it could most benefit.

(I follow a lot of voice actors on the site formerly known as twitter, and I'm seeing how deals for AI voice generation/replacement is threatening their employment. Plus hearing how it's being used for scamming, which yeah, emphasises how it feels it can do more harm than good.)

I'll grant that the advantages you posit could certainly help, though again while your point 2 sounds good in theory, poorly trained AI could end up not providing any improvement at all. I've seen enough error ridden AI assisted/generated content! I don't think an AI could ever replicate your own creative voice, either, so any use of it would have to be extremely mindful to avoid overreliance on it.

Personally, I think if people were interested we could take advantage of the human element and share ways to grow creatively/writing tips to improve on a structural level if people were interested. Where everything's become so homogenized, somehow we've become more disconnected from each other than ever before. (Like you could say my god, Camilla, stop waffling so much in your writing, and I'll say I'll take that into consideration and then not do so because I need to make sure my point makes sense.) But yeah, while I'm certain AI prompts could help, remember when people used to make lists and share ideas online?

I'm just sad about how much worse information searching has become in the last few years, tbh.

 

[Todd Cobbler]

The fact that scammers are using these tools and that industries like voice actors are being threatened is scary. On the other hand, I have seen that AI if used responsibly can be a supportive tool and assist in overcoming creative blocks. The Beatles recently released their 'final' track (Now and Then) which could only be released because AI fixed a problem with Lennon's sample. With writing, it's an excellent spelling and grammar checker and it does it so quickly too. I agree on the issue of over reliance, I know roleplayers who have gone on to professional writing but had they started using AI at this level, they might have naturally become reliant on it in their professional writing and never truly honest their skills. Perhaps 2. Advantage, in the long term, becomes 1. Disadvantage. I find what AI can do so fascinating and scary in equal measures but sometimes it feels like the strengths are it makes life easier and the weaknesses are world ending.

I totally know what you mean about internet searching these days. Generally I think the wider internet has become such a toxic place. It's one of the reasons why I like it here so much.

 

[Demetrius Wagner]

Reviving this because I feel like I actually have something to say about this now. Before this year, I didn't use AI at all, then lo and behold, a bunch of stuff at uni had us using AI for assignments. I started to feel a bit more comfortable using it, and using it for writing in particular. Not so much roleplaying, but for writing generally I find it helps me in terms of bouncing ideas and trying to give structure to story ideas (I write fanfiction occasionally). I don't like having it rewrite things for me because it sounds very AI-like but if I'm stuck it can be great.

I haven't used it too much for roleplaying like I said but I think it can potentially be quite helpful for character creation, it's just a matter of finding ways to get it to give you what you want (which I suppose is mostly what using AI is all about). Inputting ideas you already have and then asking for it to expand upon them can work. You can sort of guide it if you don't like what it's offering - though honestly occasionally that doesn't work out either. Sometimes if I'm stuck with tarot readings for when I'm coming up with ideas for plots or characters it can help give me perspective on it - it's good at synthesing information, I've noticed. Want to see what an aries who is also an INTP would look like? AI can conglomerate information like that really well. But in saying all of this, I really don't like AI's writing style and using it to generate text...kind of takes the fun out of the writing process. I might be like, 'how would you write this?' to get an example of how to start something, but beyond that I don't get AI to write stuff out. It's just not very good.

In saying all of this, I want to acknowledge what Camilla is saying. I don't know if the world is better for AI or will be better - it's certainly causing concern for certain groups of people quite understandably, and it isn't that factually reliable either. What will become of it, I don't know. But it's an interesting one, that's for sure.

 

[Persephonia Rose]

This has clearly piqued my attention, knowing that the subject of AI is always on debate. While I prefer to do my own works without the help of AI, there are times that I would come to that app and ask for something specific when an internet browser does not answer my question straight to the point.

For one thing, I think it is acceptable to consult AI if one needs their resignation letter to be done, something that one cannot write personally when it comes to the current situation that hinders them to create the whole paragraph.

It is problematic also on the other hand, while scammers already existed before the birth of the 21st century AI, they can actually abuse the use of this now and no longer how decorously it was used. And while I think it is acceptable to use this for letters at times of emergency like what I have mentioned above, if people would use this without propriety, the reader may have the 75% chance of being fallen to its trap thinking it is the original work of the writer.

It destroys the idea of original creativity, the honesty of the one who uses it. It’s like a facade that while it can healthily assist us, overusing it especially in a deceptive manner is harmful.