Exploring the intersection of AI and creativity in Charles Lewinsky’s ‘Deceptively Real’

In a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing into creative domains traditionally dominated by human beings, author Charles Lewinsky has crafted a novel that delves into this intersection with wit and intrigue. “Deceptively Real,” Lewinsky’s newest publication, straddles the line between fact and fiction, exploring the modern writer’s existential dilemmas in an era increasingly shaped by AI.

The narrative follows an unnamed protagonist, a conservative jazz enthusiast and advertising copywriter in his late 30s, who finds his world upended by both personal and professional challenges. His romantic relationship with his girlfriend Sonja, who is actually named Sibylle, crumbles when she leaves, taking with her the remnants of their shared life and leaving only a corn snake that mandates thawing frozen mice in his fridge. Concurrently, his occupation—crafting advertising copy for a muesli brand—faces obsolescence as artificial intelligence looms as a more efficient and cost-effective alternative.

The protagonist’s journey into literary success begins when his next-door neighbours, Bill and Belle, with their righteous disposition, introduce him to Frank, a wealthy acquaintance with a vision of awakening the world through publishing empathetic, ‘true’ stories of hardship from impoverished regions. Sensing an opportunity despite his modest skill set, the protagonist offers to craft such narratives, concocting a non-existent tale of an Afghan girl named Shabnam who suffers horrifically before overcoming adversity.

With the help of AI, humorously dubbed “Kirsten,” the protagonist forges a compelling narrative titled “Fear!” which quickly captures the attention of Frank and his publishing house. The false autobiography becomes a commercial triumph, attracting the interest of literary critic Denis Scheck, who desires an on-camera interview with Shabnam. To avert discovery, the protagonist draws his former partner Sonja into the deception, persuading her to masquerade as Shabnam to answer Scheck’s questions.

The scheme goes off successfully, with Sonja’s performance and the AI-crafted narrative convincing Scheck of the book’s literary merit. The success corroborates a central theme of Lewinsky’s novel: that with minimal guidance, artificial intelligence can produce texts capable of fooling even the most discerning critics.

In crafting “Deceptively Real,” Lewinsky intriguingly merges human creativity with AI-generated content to examine profound questions about authorship and authenticity in contemporary literature. His own admission predicated on the preface reveals that while certain sections of the novel were generated using AI tools like Chat-GPT and Neuroflash, a balance between human and artificial creativity is maintained, with non-italicised portions presumably crafted by Lewinsky himself.

The novel does not merely entertain but subtly prompts readers to ponder the evolving dynamics of literary production in the digital age. Through a captivating story embedded with humour and subtle satire, Lewinsky explores the potential, challenges, and ethical dilemmas posed by AI in the art of storytelling.

Source: Noah Wire Services