
John Warner, a writer and college professor, does a Deep Dive into ChatGPT and related Artificial Intelligence programs in his new book, More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI (2025). “Large language models [like ChatGPT] do not ‘write.’ They generate syntax. They do not think, feel, or experience anything. They are fundamentally incapable of judging truth, accuracy, or veracity.” (p. 18) Or care about truth, accuracy, or veracity. But they are very good at generating words.
In addition to being a word generator, AI can be used to scam the innocent. “An AI-generated book, The Evolution of Jazz: A Century of Improvisation and Innovation by Frank Gioia and Ted Alkyer, came into the world. The dual authors were designed to take advantage of the fact that Ted Gioia (The History of Jazz) and Alkyer ( publisher of Downbeat magazine) are two noted jazz experts…. Because both Gioia and Alkyer have their own public platforms and were able to make a fuss, the scam was exposed and the books will pulled from sale…” (p. 189)
So Artificial Intelligence programs can “write” fake books. All too often, the scammers using AI end up making money before they’re found out–or continue to operate their schemes indefinitely. They certainly don’t have to pay the AI program to generate more books.
“In 2021, Brandon Sanderson, a best-selling author of science fiction and fantasy, announced on the Kickstarter platform that he was setting out to raise $1 million as a crowdfunding effort for four yet-to-be-written novels. By the time the campaign was over, Sanderson had raised over $41 million.” (p. 198). Is the the future for writers in the Age of AI? Do you use Artificial Intelligence? Are you as worried about the Artificial Intelligence future as I am? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- Introduction — 1
- PART ONE
- Chapter 1 Automation, Not Intelligence — 15
- Chapter 2 Stop, Now, Before It’s Too Late! — 29
- Chapter 3 A Personal History of the Automation of Writing — 43
- PART TWO
- Chapter 4 Only Humans Write — 55
- Chapter 5 Writing Is Thinking — 61
- Chapter 6 Writing Is Feeling — 75
- Chapter 7 Writing Is a Practice — 89
- Chapter 8 Life with a Writing Practice — 103
- Chapter 9 Reading and Writing — 113
- PART THREE
- Chapter 10 Reading, Writing, and Robots — 127
- Chapter 11 Here Come the Teaching Machines (Again) — 133
- Chapter 12 Writing in the Classroom of Today (and Tomorrow) — 147
- Chapter 13 Reading Like a Writer — 165
- Chapter 14 Content vs. Writing — 179
- Chapter 15 On the Future of Writing for Money — 191
- Chapter 16 My Digital Doppelgänger — 211
- PART FOUR
- Chapter 17 A Framework for Action: Resist, Renew, Explore — 225
- Chapter 18 Resist — 231
- Chapter 19 Renew — 247
- Chapter 20 Explore — 265
- Conclusion The Journey Never Ends — 277
- Acknowledgments — 281
- Notes — 283
- Index — 297