女性作家、九段理江さんがAIの力を借りて芥川賞受賞　The Award of the Akutagawa Prize to Rie Kudan and the Role of AI in Literature

歴史上はじめて、AIの力を使った文学作品が、芥川賞を受賞しました。伝統の破壊とみるのか、それとも文学の進化とみるのか。

The Award of the Akutagawa Prize to Rie Kudan and the Role of AI in Literature

In January 2024, Rie Kudan, a 33-year-old Japanese writer, was awarded the Akutagawa Prize, one of the most prestigious literary awards in Japan. Her novel, Tokyo Tower of Sympathy, tells the story of an architect who is tasked with designing a high-rise prison for criminals. The novel also explores the theme of AI, and Kudan has stated that she used AI to generate about 5% of the novel's text.

Kudan's award has been met with mixed reactions. Some critics have praised her for her innovative use of AI, while others have argued that her work is not worthy of the prize. The award has also raised a number of important questions about the role of AI in literature.

One of the key questions is whether AI can be used to create truly creative works of literature. Some critics argue that AI is simply a tool that can be used to generate text, and that it is ultimately up to the human author to imbue that text with meaning and creativity. Others argue that AI can be used to create works of literature that are indistinguishable from those written by humans.

Another important question is how the use of AI will affect the nature of literature. Some critics argue that the use of AI will lead to a decline in the quality of literature, as authors become increasingly reliant on AI to generate their work. Others argue that the use of AI will lead to new and innovative forms of literature.

It is still too early to say what the long-term impact of AI will be on literature. However, Kudan's award is a significant event that has the potential to shape the future of literature.

In the following, I will discuss the potential impact of AI on literature from both a positive and negative perspective.

Positive Impact

On the positive side, AI has the potential to revolutionize literature in a number of ways. First, AI can be used to generate new and innovative forms of literature. AI can be used to create new genres of literature, such as hypertext novels or interactive fiction. AI can also be used to generate new forms of literary expression, such as poetry or music.

Second, AI can be used to improve the quality of existing literary works. AI can be used to correct errors in grammar or spelling, or to improve the flow of a narrative. AI can also be used to generate new insights into existing works of literature.

Third, AI can be used to make literature more accessible to a wider audience. AI can be used to translate literature into different languages, or to create audio or visual versions of literature. AI can also be used to make literature more affordable, by making it available online or through subscription services.

Negative Impact

On the negative side, AI also has the potential to harm literature in a number of ways. First, AI could lead to a decline in the quality of literature, as authors become increasingly reliant on AI to generate their work. If authors do not put in the time and effort to develop their own creative skills, their work will likely be derivative and unoriginal.

Second, AI could lead to a loss of jobs for human writers. As AI becomes more sophisticated, it is possible that computers will be able to generate text that is indistinguishable from that written by humans. If this happens, there will be less demand for human writers, and many writers could lose their jobs.

Third, AI could lead to a homogenization of literature. As AI becomes more widely used, it is possible that all literature will start to look and sound the same. This is because AI will be trained on a massive dataset of existing literature, and it is likely that AI will simply replicate the patterns and conventions that it finds in that data.

In conclusion, the impact of AI on literature is still uncertain. However, it is clear that AI has the potential to revolutionize literature in both positive and negative ways. It is important for writers, critics, and readers to be aware of the potential impact of AI, so that they can make informed decisions about the future of literature.