Here's how a troop of gorillas helped me write this book.
Sorry, not sorry.
So not only did I use AI to write the words and make the images – I also relied on a bunch of gorillas to help with the story.
And they didn't even get paid peanuts.
Primal Prompting
'Writing' with Chat GPT is all about the prompt. The better the input, the better the output. Which got me thinking – what if I could somehow get primates to enter a prompt. Who knows what the result might be?
A crazy plan indeed. But one I was up for, as it felt like a rebellious way to stick my finger in the eye of our AI overlords.
I discovered that AI image recognition technology can be used to read body language and decipher human emotions. So I figured I could use this tech to interpret primate behaviour and social interactions – which would then be used to add nuance and depth to the characters in my book.
In other words, primates would literally be used to write my story about primates.
THE AUTHOR AND CO-AUTHORS
The Experiment
To make it happen, I reached out to Nicholas Malone, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Auckland to help establish parameters for the experiment. He advised on a method of unobtrusive observation which I should adhere to.
Observations would be conducted through Grace Gorillas livestream where a troop of gorillas living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are visible on a daily basis.
Their body language and social interactions were studied for meaning and intent, which was then translated into editorial instructions by Dilbert (my AI GPT who I'd configured to help write the book). Next, Dilbert would analyse the penultimate version of Monumental, recommending changes to sections within, which he deemed would most benefit most from his observations.
Being the good little human I am, I'd then obediently follow his instructions, applying them to the final edit.
The goal was to push the boundaries of story-telling by blurring the relationship between human creativity, artificial intelligence, and primal instincts.
PRIMAL PROMPTING TEASER
Was it successful?
More or less, with plenty of teething problems. The gorillas played their part without fuss. Dilbert on the other hand, with all his fancy pants AI tech kept tripping over his laces. But we got there in the end.
EXPERIMENT 01/02 DOCUMENTATION
Documentation
All Primal Prompting experiments were documented so as to maintain a record of how the primates legitimately affected the storyline and character development.
These can be found in the book's appendix – noting observation, current story element identified to change, recommended change, thumbnail of the observation and the impacted spread for visual reference.
NICK DEBRIEFS EXPERIMENT #1
In blending human insight, artificial intelligence, and primal instincts, Monumental turned into more than a story.
It became a reflection of who we are, where we've been, and where our next steps might take us. This is no ordinary narrative, it is a shared story, told through many voices – from the ancient to the artificial.