Some say that the printing business started with Guttenberg around 1440, others say that it was actually in China, and a few claim that it was in Korea. Books were made long ago, and Guttenberg’s invention, or whoever made it, held sway in the modern world for over 300 years.
Books evolved from manuscript to print and finally to digital.
We have read countless books, the bookworms, I mean. As a writer, it is of paramount importance to expand your vocabulary, and there is no better way to do that than by reading a lot of things, from books to mail to drug package inserts.
I started by reading comics that my father brought home (if you haven’t seen the post yet), and then my mother required a certain amount of reading (books, not comics or magazines) per week, with which she quizzed me. I must confess that this was a terrible exercise. I did not understand what the authors were talking about – Portuguese literature from another century.
Finally, she decided to try a more age-appropriate way of reading, and it was like magic.
The first book that came to mind was “En Autobus” by Johannes Mario Simmel. This book tells the story of 19 German children who take a red bus to a cozy hotel in another city and have many adventures. So much learning in such a small thing.
I was entranced by these letters on a page, by the stories, the characters. The scenario! It was love at first sight – into the words.
If sound places us in space and time, reading transports us to different universes. From the first book I ever read until the present, I have lost myself over and over again in the pages, imagining several lives and asking myself: if I could just make that magic happen… I thought about that when I was 11.
And eventually, I became a writer – I still can not transport people the way I wish I could, but I hope to get there Bird by Bird as Anne Lamott explained brilliantly, I might add.
Maybe I can do that, but not fast enough, as technology has taken up so much space nowadays. Jasper is probably better and faster than me. No. Not probably. He is.
Jasper is an AI writer and AI art generator that creates blog posts, marketing copy and so much more.
I am not talking about being grammatically accurate, editing, or even proofreading. We have got Grammarly for that, right? However, persuasion is an ability that takes longer to develop than it used to. Nowadays, we have instant text and a hundred other websites and apps to help us write more convincing or compelling texts. AI does that. And Jasper is an expert.
What about the marketing experts? The content producers? The copywriters? Are They losing their Jobs?
Is it the end of the world as we know it? A truly remarkable piece of literature in which the author both shares his experience with Jasper and considers the consequences for all of us. View the entire article.
Collin Wright compares AI to the Industrial Revolution. At that time, millions of employees lost their jobs due to machine inventions. He talks about the tea pickers nowadays and the Luddites. Have a look at the video for a more accurate notion of the subject.
I agree with him.
As a writer, Jasper provides not only a better job but also a faster and cheaper one.
Who wants to read books anyway? They have become vintage even though some of us still like to turn the pages of a traditional book instead of reading in an app, such as Kindle. Others do not even read books per se any longer. But I still read books – as much as I can.
As we find everything online (or almost), whatever we are looking for is just a click away from the information required. Who wants to waste time reading a 200-page book if you can figure out a solution to your eminent problem by typing three letters on a search engine?
Mr. Google has come to stay. So has Jasper.
Furthermore, it provides translation.
And that, my fellow readers, is where I might lose my breadwinner. I am an interpreter at a global company, and by referral, I get gigs translating and interpreting (mostly simultaneous translation) for other enterprises.
But if Jasper does that, what am I going to do in the future?
My expertise will no longer be required as technology advances, and companies would rather have a translator at all times who is going to do the same (?) job. No inflexions, interpretations, but perhaps a robotic voice, who cares? Translators are supposed to be impartial anyway.
There is the fear of losing Jobs, gigs, and the like. Is this a Revolution?
I believe so. I also think writing, the way (old-fashioned?) I am doing it now, will be replaced by Jasper and whatnot. It takes a long time to put your ideas on paper, organize them, edit them, and proofread them.
A 1,500-word post takes at least 5 hours to be written. You still have to look for pictures related to the topic and place them on your blog post. Choose the right font. Place bullet points, look for the keywords and bold them, and add them to the tags. It is an endless job.
It does give you pleasure.
I am excited to jot down ideas on my computer. The mundane sound of typing gives me comfort. The spinning around, the writing on my head part—every time I am walking, I get more creative, so the story (to be written) is on my mind at all times until the moment I post it.
I believe all writers feel the same way. The question remains: Does Jasper?
Well, it does not have feelings. Not yet, at least. There is another article in The Guardian that has started to question the power we have been giving to AI. And of course, one will never forget Arnold Schwarzenegger saying: I’ll be back – Terminator.
The machines are taking control. If we do not regulate technology, are we losing our Jobs? Is there a limit to what they can do, or does AI have no borders?
Do not harm humans – one of three laws of robotics. Issac Asimov: I, robot. an American science fiction action film based on Isaac Asimov’s 1950 short-story collection, starring Will Smith in the main role, remember that?
I am a huge fan of technology.
My favorite movie (one of the top five) is Blade Runner. The book is even better, as usual. But I remember watching it for the first time and imagining a video call. Nowadays, I work remotely using my notebook by teaching and translating on a video call. That has become a reality that we often take for granted.
Technology has allowed me to work from anywhere. Although I have a dog, I must provide him (not it) with some stability, so I must stay put, for some time at least, in a place. This is a conversation for another day.
Are we becoming better at our Jobs due to technology?
Competition tends to do that.
Aside from being a translator, I also teach Business English, which is one of the courses I provide. I have a student who gets easily bored, and as a consequence, I am constantly thinking about strategies to make him interested in the class and learn in the process. If a student is bored with a customized course, it is a bad sign.
Boredom affects learning, causes distress, and may lead to class avoidance.
A teacher is supposed to vary the routines and differentiate teaching strategies by deciding how to teach a particular topic, for instance, Phrasal verbs. We are there. And it is a lot to take in—taking in being one of them. After learning the basics and finally being able to communicate in English, you need phrasal verbs to get the message across. And it is frustrating—it is a whole other dialect,” so to speak.
Therefore, I had to teach them in context. I decided to develop classes on phrasal verbs for relationships and talk about friendships as well as romantic ones. I added videos to improve his listening ability, readings, and quizzes to help him memorize the new phrasal verbs. I designed several activities to help him retain them.
He made me a better teacher.
Although it takes a lot of time to prepare the classes in advance, I am much better at teaching phrasal verbs. As I go over the lesson, it grows on me. New ones came up, and I decided to brush up on them all. Thanks, Thiago.
Perhaps the same will happen with Jasper. With Artificial intelligence – ChatGPT has already become more accessible – we might become better at what we do. Finer writers. Greater teachers. Superior (don’t think so) copywriters.
We do need to harness our skills and knowledge of writing (of everything, actually); however, we will read better. Although we won’t outdo Jasper and the like, we might become better versions of ourselves, stronger, and more willing to go the extra mile.
The million-dollar question: Who fears job losses due to AI?
It has a name: AI anxiety. You may want to read more about that in this article by the BBC.
Share your thoughts in the comments below and contribute to the discussion. If you like this post consider sharing it. By the way, cut me some slack – this is the first time I write in English (not my first Language).
Glad to have you here! Have a great day.
Viajar é Fundamental 