Author Robert Carrick has shown us what he's made of with his new novel, Cloudless Love ... in the time of Artificial Intelligence.
At his recent book launch at Ariel Bookstore in Paddington, Sydney, Carrick received undivided support from fellow authors, his friends and family.
As he made clear, no artificial intelligence was used in writing the book. But his story does a great job of showing, in a purely fictional way, some of the dangers in relying too much on sophisticated technology to do our thinking for us.
'We should not be concerned with AI. What we should do is paint our pictures, sing our songs, and write our stories for each other, and cherish and celebrate our humanity in whichever way is appropriate for us, for being human is what we do best,' is Robert's take on AI.
But if we need evidence of the risks of AI, it's around us every day, as Sydney School of Arts & Humanities Director, Dr Christine Williams, pointed out, citing cyber attacks just this week and stretching back over the past year: on our wharves, at Optus, Medibank, in cryptocurrency and affecting small businesses and individuals.
So, Robert Carrick has done us a service in creating such an enjoyable novel written in response to the following question: What would you do if your life became dependent on Artificial Intelligence, and then it vanished overnight?
As Dr Williams summed up: 'To achieve the birth of his first novel, Robert has used his remarkable imagination to think up a plausible scenario in Australia’s future. The result? A unique and playful storyline with realistic characters we like.
'It’s a look at how we’re all caught up in an all-pervasive domination by the Cloud and are already affected by Artificial Intelligence in our daily lives, yet we remain Neanderthal in our emotional mire of hormones mixed with ego.
'Robert’s cheery outlook is that even in the face of being cut off from our greatest dependence in life, the internet, mostly things turn out for the best in relationships and true love. The wheel turns – and turns again.'
Cloudless Love ... in the time of Artificial Intelligence is available now - just in time for Christmas - in paperback and ebook formats,
Find the book online at https://amzn.asia/d/1dML2Dh or over the counter at Ariel Bookstore and other leading bookshops in major cities.
Copyright text: cvwilliams - photos: Paula Punch, Tim Lumsdaine.
Posts on this SSOA blog are published to showcase the work of emerging writers who meet weekly to workshop their short stories, memoir or novels. You can contact us at sydneysoa.com.au
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