My Creative Collaborator

This article by Nadim Sadek, author and Founder & CEO of Shimmr AI, is one of a series commissioned as part of MyWorld, a UKRI-funded project that explores the future of creative technology innovation by pioneering new ideas, products and processes in the West of England. We have commissioned writers, academics, creators and makers to contribute a written snapshot into how artificial intelligence is changing, enhancing and challenging creative writing and publishing practices.  

Wearing two hats – one as CEO of an AI company, the other as a writer of business and children’s books – sometimes gives me whiplash. The friction lies in copyright. AI is brilliant and here to stay. But its training methods, built on the misappropriation of creators’ work, are a source of deep regret. So let me begin this article by saying two things.

First, I believe all creators should be properly recognised and remunerated for their work. My own view is that a simple, global technology-enabled system should be produced, by which creators (or their Rights-holders) can choose whether their works are available for others (like AI companies) to use and they should be able to negotiate the value of those works within that platform. Second, I believe that getting AI to produce ‘creative writing’ is one of its worst use-cases and it’s largely a waste of our time and attention to do so.

Now I wish to be positive. There are so many ways in which AI helps me as an author.

Conceptualising. I day-dream. That’s normally where my stories arise. Somehow, a thought becomes a theme that becomes a concept. Eventually, I execute on by beginning to write it down and iterate it and re-iterate it, gradually labouring my way towards a manuscript with which I’m satisfied. Nowadays, I use AI to discuss the theme and concept. I might have a thought about children’s stories involving bicycles and dogs. I share my thoughts. AI does what I ask it to do – has this been done before? What sort of age might this suit? In the narrative arc, where do the tensions and releases seem to be? Does it seem terribly bland? Have I inadvertently made the female character a little recessive? AI helps me to shape my thoughts. I do the writing.

Researching. In one of my stories, a cobra bites the hero-dog. After writing the episode, I realised that I didn’t really know how a human can intervene to stop the bite being a lethal attack. AI helped me to understand how the venom affects a dog and what interactions might mitigate the situation, saving the dog’s life. AI helped me understand the biology. I did the writing.

Arguing. I produce a monthly column for The Bookseller. My v1 is normally not far from my final draft, but I tend to sleep on it and address a few repetitions or clumsy phrases with the freshness of a new day. Nowadays, when I’m satisfied with my v2, I check in with AI, asking if the article makes sense, or where my logic or narrative might have gone awry. Almost without fail, AI helps me to see where my intended points might be misapprehended, or where I’m not helping the reader. AI helps me think more clearly. I do the writing.

Translation. My business book has a limited audience. It’s about how publishing can embrace AI. Released in English, I anticipated my audience would largely be publishing professionals in the UK, USA and other English-speaking markets. Meeting other-language publishers at Book Fairs, I discovered an appetite to publish my book, but a baulking at the time and cost of translating what is something of an esoteric book. With AI, my book has now been translated and is published (or soon will be) in Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, Greek, Tamil, Hindi and others – making it available to more than half the world’s readers. My publishers report that the AI draft only needs a couple of days of editors’ time to ‘polish it’. I think this works when conceptual communication is key, rather than where the art is in the articulation, as in literary fiction. AI helps me disseminate. I do the writing.

Audio-Books. That same business book is now available as an English audio-book. I went into a studio, read three of its ten chapters, and permitted my voice to be cloned. Hey presto, my whole book, read in my voice with my intonation and style, is available on all platforms. My Greek publisher is about to use my voice for a Greek rendition. AI has made me more accessible. I did the writing.

So far, I’ve shared my thoughts as an author. As a publisher, AI can help to qualify manuscripts better so editors can attend to the rubies in the rubble, can help logistics to create a more sustainable industry, can help lawyers to manage rights and royalties more consistently and swiftly, and help list-managers to ensure their meta-data is always up-to-date to take advantage of emerging trends. My own company, Shimmr AI, produces autonomous advertising, helping bring books into the light by understanding the author’s intent, generating advertising that manifests that, and then matching the book to audiences pre-disposed to its unique BookDNA through various media channels.

There are myriad ways in which AI benefits publishing. Let it help you. You do the writing.