‘Lack of coherence’ gives humans the edge over AI in storytelling

Researchers Haoran Chu from the University of Florida and Sixiao Liu from the University of Central Florida have delved into the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) in the realm of storytelling. Their study set out to address emerging concerns regarding AI’s potential to rival or surpass human creativity in storytelling, a domain traditionally seen as a uniquely human skill.

The investigation comes on the heels of significant unrest last year among Hollywood screenwriters, who feared AI could replace their roles. This led to protests and subsequent protections for creative professionals against AI encroachment. Similarly, academics have raised alarms over potentially AI-generated student work, adding to concerns about AI’s burgeoning role in creative and academic fields.

Journalists are similarly worried about the encroachment of AI into their field. Some unions have demanded guarantees that all tasks that could be undertaken by a human should remain the preserve of their members.

Storytelling exerts considerable influence in societies, playing a pivotal role in bridging cultures and shaping perceptions. Its power lies in ‘transportation’—the immersive experience that captivates an audience, allowing them to engage deeply without scepticism. Given this influence, the question arises: can AI match human proficiency in storytelling?

Chu and Liu’s research aimed to determine how AI-generated narratives compare to those crafted by humans. Their study involved prompting ChatGPT to create stories and subsequently asking more than 2,000 participants to evaluate the level of engagement with these narratives. Participants were divided into groups that assessed stories either labelled as AI-written or human-written.

Human-authored stories generally resulted in stronger feelings of transportation compared to AI-generated ones. Interestingly, the label indicating a story was AI-generated decreased its appeal and triggered more scepticism, despite its content.

Linguistic analysis suggested that AI-generated stories typically exhibit more coherence, characterised by longer paragraphs and consistent linkages between ideas. In contrast, human writers tend to employ a diversity of styles and tones.

Despite AI’s ability to craft coherent and believable tales, it lacks the elements of creativity and lived experiences that human stories often embody. While AI can fluently generate predictably structured stories, its algorithms are fundamentally rooted in predicting likely outcomes, rather than innovating fresh ideas. This predictability limits AI’s creative range but can still resonate with audiences due to a preference for familiar story patterns.

Chu and Liu’s study highlights that, for the time being, professional storytellers are not at risk of being supplanted by AI. The research affirms that while AI can craft coherent narratives, it falls short of the nuanced creativity and depth that human experiences bring to stories. Nonetheless, as AI technology advances, there exists the possibility of AI producing more compelling narratives, which could present challenges, particularly in the context of misinformation.

This research contributes to the ongoing discussion about the evolving role of AI in creative industries and underscores the need to understand the limitations and capabilities of AI storytelling. The research of Chu and Liu invites further exploration into what constitutes effective storytelling, both by humans and machines, while illuminating the need for vigilance in an era where AI’s role continues to expand.

Source: Noah Wire Services