In just 9 months, science fiction author Tim Boucher managed to write nearly 1000 books with the help of artificial intelligence tools. This is an incredibly impressive feat compared to the months and even years it typically takes authors to write just one book. In an article written for Newsweek, Boucher revealed that his aim was to create a unique dystopian-sci-fi series with AI world-building.
To achieve this, Boucher used two tools: ChatGPT (a text generator based on the GPT-4 AI system) and Anthropic’s Claude (for brainstorming and text generation). He also used the image generator MidJourney to illustrate his novels. Despite AI’s potential to replace humans in many fields, Boucher believes it to be a powerful tool to enhance the capabilities of creative people.
AI-based chatbots like ChatGPT and Bard are able to generate texts in a matter of minutes, something a human could never achieve and which has led to fears of job losses in the fields of writers, programmers and accountants. On the other hand, Boucher managed to create his series of novels, called “AI Lore Books”, which are between 2000 and 5000 words long and contain between 40 and 140 images.
In the nine months between August 2022 and May 2023, Boucher sold 574 books, earning him around $2000. Through the use of AI-powered tools, Boucher managed to give life to ideas that had been brewing in his mind for years and produce stories with incredible efficiency. This shows us that, while AI might be replacing humans in some fields, it can also be used to increase the capacity and speed of creative work.
