The article titled ‘ChatGPT Has Soap Writers Fearing For Jobs Until It Pens Corrie ‘rubbish’ Episode’ has been attracting attention of late as a story emerged on how the world’s most popular artificially intelligent “creative” tool ChatGPT was used to pen a ‘Coronation Street’ episode. The company behind this innovative research and development is OpenAI, a San Francisco-based research lab noted for their interest in machine learning and AI development. It was founded by a group of tech-visionaries that include Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Greg Brockman for the purpose of advancing digital intelligence towards a better, more sustainable, and more accessible future.
ChatGPT was used to test out what an AI-written ‘Coronation Street’ episode would look like. Although the task included writing a script for a 30-minute show, the tool was only able to produce enough content for half the time. The AI refused to create storylines that included topics such as incest, rape, racism, and drugs due to its “ethics guidelines”. The end product was a hackneyed script about murder and drug dealing.
It did fare better when it came to producing titles, providing a two-part story with titles ‘Shadows Of Deception’ and ‘Shadows Of Betrayal’ – which both featured the same plodding plot with Steve McDonald being abruptly knifed by a masked figure who turns out to be one of his estranged lovers, and crime fighters suddenly bursting into the Rovers Return moments after someone wonders where Steve is. The second episode sees Steve miraculously resurrected, only to find that an unsuspecting woman is actually his half-sister.
AI technology can be incredibly useful and effective in a range of industries. However, the production of soap operas such as ‘Coronation Street’ cannot be adequately replicated by bots and computers. Despite the seemingly simplistic formula of a soap opera, it is something that can only be written and produced by people – as otherwise the nuanced emotions, stakes, and situational elements would be lost. Soap writers can rest easy knowing that their jobs are safe from AI takeovers, and their creative processes can remain human-centric for the foreseeable future.
