Craig Jordan-Baker

AI’s involvement with creative writing can be viewed through the dual lens of technological reality and cultural imagination. There is a gap between what AI is and what it can become as technological ‘imaginaries’ shape, design, and impact cultural expectations, guiding innovation as much as the technology itself. Natural language models can be helpful tools for research, dialogue modeling, redrafting, and ideation. Nevertheless, they cannot replace the subjective pleasures and nuanced reflections found in the pursuit of creative writing. Historical parallels, such as those of photography versus painting, show how AI has the ability to transform literary production, especially in formulaic genre—but it will displace human authorship entirely. Play, hybridity, and adaptation are essential future responses to AI in creative writing—and ethical and social questions are pressing. For example, who gets to use AI? Who is excluded? Will AI exacerbate inequity or democratize access to creativity. More inclusive imaginaries grounded in cautious optimism and historical perspective are necessary. Ultimately, it is possible to envision a writing culture where AI coexists with human expression, encouraging new forms of literature than blend computational support with human insight, curiosity, and experimentation.