I have tried Dall·E after reading so many posts about how it would revolutionize someone’s business and I was very disappointed.
Dall·E is a project developed by OpenAI, the same organization behind models like GPT-3 (ChatGPT). Dall·E in opposition to ChatGPT creates images from prompts that were given to it (OpenAI, n.d.). It uses deep learning technology such as Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). VAEs allow to represent complex data in a more compact form and the GANs are used to create as realistic images as possible by constantly creating fake images and putting them to the test by a discriminator that will discard the image if it deems it fake (Lawton, 2023; Blei et al., 2017). The business world and most of the LinkedIn posts I saw were idolizing such technology and explained how this could enhance humans in several ways. One way that was relevant to me was the creation of images, signs or pictograms that will enhance the potential of PowerPoint presentations.
After writing my thesis last year, I had to create a PowerPoint to present the main points of my thesis. I thought it would be a great way to start using Dall·E and tried creating my own visuals to have a clear representation of what my thesis entailed. After many tries, even with the best prompts I could write, even with the help of ChatGPT, none of the visuals that came out of it looked real or defined, it was just abstract art that represented nothing really.
Reflecting on that experience, I thought that sometimes, the fascination people have for groundbreaking technology clouds its practical applications. I do not doubt that Dall·E can create great visuals and can be fun to play with, however, it does not always adapt seamlessly to specific creative needs.
Ultimately, using Dall·E made me remember that we should always stay critical and manage expectations when it comes to groundbreaking emerging technology. It is appealing to listen to all the promises that come with disruptive technologies but sometimes we realize that no tool is one-size-fits-all.
References
Blei, D. M., Kucukelbir, A., & McAuliffe, J. D. (2017). Variational inference: A review for statisticians, Journal of the American Statistical Association, 112 (518), pp. 859–877.
As a child, I used to read many books and, in the beginning, it were mostly books with a lot of drawings and art. With the introduction and mainstream usage of generative AI, such as ChatGPT, and AI image generators, such as DALL-E, the industry of writing could be heavily affected (AI & Insights). For this blog post, I decided to create my own short children’s book called “The Brave Squirrel Sammy & The Wicked Crow” using ChatGPT and the Image Creator from Microsoft Bing, which makes use of DALL-E 3. If you’re interested, you can read the book at the end of this blog.
I was not the first one to come up with this idea and there have been many others that have done this and even sold some copies of the book (Popli, 2022; Yeddula, 2023; Weeldenburg & Depardieu, 2023). It is actually quite simple to do. You ask ChatGPT to create a fairy tale for children and, additionally, add your own preferences to the prompt. Subsequently, you create prompts for the image creator based on the text provided by ChatGPT and you end up with a simple text and beautiful images that you can combine to create a children’s book.
Of course, the book had some flaws, especially the images, which aren’t all perfectly in line with each other, but it should be enough given that a child probably won’t notice the little details and the story doesn’t have to be very complex. Besides, if you want to make the story more complex, give the characters more detail and make the plot more tense, you probably can by using better prompts.
Ethical Dilemma
However, I think it’s important to consider the ownership and copyrights of AI-generated books and art. Many authors and illustrators are not happy with people creating children’s books with such minimal effort in order to earn easy money (Popli, 2022). They argue that there should be better regulations regarding how art is used to train AI algorithms since the models are trained using the existing work of artists. The artists don’t get any compensation for this and they also did not give consent for their artworks and literature being used. Recently, a US federal judge has ruled that art created by artificial intelligence without any human input cannot be copyrighted and the Copyright Office also rejected a request for copyright on images created using Midjourney, even though the artist’s prompts were part of the creative (Brittain, 2023).
Personally, I think (children’s) books can be created using input from generative AI in order to generate interesting ideas and characters. However, to really create a good and interesting book, there should still be a human that unifies all these ideas and adds details in order to create a good and complex plot. Let me know in the comments what your opinion is on this topic and don’t forget to read my book below!
Book – The Brave Squirrel Sammy & The Wicked Crow
Once upon a time, in a lush and vibrant forest, there lived a brave little squirrel named Sammy. Sammy was known far and wide for his courage and kindness. He had a warm heart and a fluffy tail that always twitched with excitement.
In the same forest, there dwelled a wicked crow named Grizzle. Grizzle was envious of Sammy’s popularity and happiness. He had dark feathers and a cackling laugh that sent shivers down the spines of the other forest creatures.
One sunny morning, as Sammy was collecting acorns for his family, he heard a faint cry for help coming from the tallest tree. He looked up and saw a tiny bird trapped in the crow’s nest at the top. Without a second thought, Sammy scurried up the tree with his nimble paws and saved the trembling bird.
“Thank you, Sammy, you’re a hero!” chirped the grateful bird, and word of Sammy’s bravery spread throughout the forest.
Grizzle, the wicked crow, couldn’t stand Sammy’s newfound fame. He flew to the tallest tree, where Sammy had once again become a hero, and said, “I challenge you, Sammy the Squirrel, to a contest of bravery. Whoever can bring me the shiniest, most precious object from the Enchanted Meadow will be declared the true hero of the forest.”
Sammy accepted the challenge with a determined nod. The Enchanted Meadow was a mysterious place filled with dazzling wonders and hidden dangers. It was guarded by the ancient and wise Owl of Wisdom, who protected its treasures.
The next day, Sammy set off on his quest to find the shiniest object. Along the way, he encountered many creatures in need and helped them without hesitation. He gave a lost bunny directions back home, helped a snail cross a busy path, and even shared his acorn stash with a hungry raccoon.
Meanwhile, Grizzle, the wicked crow, had a very different approach. He cheated, lied, and tricked his way through the forest. He scared away the bunny, bullied the snail, and stole from the raccoon. Grizzle had no kindness in his heart.
Finally, Sammy reached the entrance of the Enchanted Meadow. The Owl of Wisdom appeared before him, its eyes shining with ancient knowledge. Sammy asked for the shiniest object, and the wise owl gave him a beautiful golden acorn. It sparkled like the sun.
Grizzle, on the other hand, arrived at the Enchanted Meadow in a disheveled state, with stolen trinkets and a bad temper. When he demanded the shiniest object, the owl saw through his wickedness and gave him a shiny stone, dull and lifeless.
Back in the forest, Sammy returned with his golden acorn, which gleamed in the sunlight. The forest creatures cheered for him, and Grizzle’s plan had failed.
The wicked crow was left feeling miserable and alone, while Sammy continued to be a hero, not because of shiny objects, but because of his kind heart and brave actions. The forest was a happier place thanks to Sammy, and Grizzle learned that true heroes are not made of shiny things but of love and courage.
And so, the brave little squirrel, Sammy, lived happily ever after, teaching all the creatures of the forest that kindness and bravery are the most precious treasures of all. And Grizzle, the wicked crow, eventually learned the error of his ways and became a better bird, finding his own path to happiness.
And that, dear children, is the tale of “The Brave Little Squirrel and the Wicked Crow.”
References
AI & Insights. (2023, April 19). The future of Creative Writing – AI & Insights – Medium. Medium. https://medium.com/muthoni-wanyoike/the-future-of-creative-writing-c7d397dff6a4
Brittain, B. (2023, August 21). AI-generated art cannot receive copyrights, US court says. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/legal/ai-generated-art-cannot-receive-copyrights-us-court-says-2023-08-21/
Popli, N. (2022, December 14). He used AI to publish a children’s book in a weekend. artists are not happy about it. Time. https://time.com/6240569/ai-childrens-book-alice-and-sparkle-artists-unhappy/
Weeldenburg, N., & Depardieu, A. (2023). Creating children Book Using ChatGPT. International Journal of Art, Design, and Metaverse, 1(2).
Yeddula, S. C. (2023, April 4). How I wrote, illustrated and published 3 children’s books assisted by AI. Medium. https://generativeai.pub/how-i-wrote-illustrated-and-published-3-childrens-books-assisted-by-ai-d25f1474b04
