Me: Hi, ChatGPT 4, we're going to write an article for a creative agency's website. It's a creative agency that specialises in video games. The blog post is going to be about the use of artificial intelligence…Specifically, how A.I. can be used for video game development, video game marketing, and advertising in general. The crux of the piece will be how A.I. will impact the work of human creatives in these fields.

To demonstrate why humans are still very much needed to produce interesting, creative, original, and 'on-brief' work, we're going to ask you to write the blog post for me. Then, I'm going to show how I tweak my subsequent prompts and how I edit your output to prepare it to be published.

GPT4: Article Title: Unleashing Creativity: How A.I. is Shaping the Video Game Industry

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is permeating every corner of our lives, and the video game industry is no exception. In recent years, it has been used to not only enhance gameplay but also to push the boundaries of creativity in game development. As an AI model, I have the capability to learn from a vast array of digital information and create unique outputs. However, like any other AI, I am not an autonomous creator, but rather a tool that needs careful and precise direction from human creatives to produce meaningful and 'on-brief' results....

Although the above output from ChatGPT4 is undoubtedly true (unlike many of the things it says), it’s hardly interesting, original, or adding anything to the current discourse. I endeavoured to be as clear and simple as possible, and the large language model simply created what feels like the average of every piece of writing on this subject that’s on the internet. Clearly, I need to get more creative with my prompt. Or, perhaps, the A.I. is producing generic results to ‘act dumb’ and help me achieve the article’s goal? Let’s find out.

Me: This article you've created is quite generic. It doesn't really say anything new or interesting and it doesn't really take a position or have an angle on the information. Are you writing this way on purpose to help me make my point or do you simply think this is what you were asked for?

GPT4: …The objective of the initial text was to provide a broad overview based on the instructions given, including a discussion of AI in video game development and marketing, and an explanation of the difference between large language models and general AI.

…we could certainly adjust the direction of the content. For instance, we could focus more on the debate surrounding AI's impact on human creatives in the gaming industry or delve into the ethical implications of using AI in games.

However, it's worth noting that…I don't form opinions or beliefs, and I don't have access to real-time or post-training data…

It seems ChatGPT 4 was not providing generic content on purpose to help me show its shortcomings. But I’m sure there’s more to be extracted from this incredible invention and I believe the secret is specificity and creative prompt writing (which could well become a job description soon).

Me: We only have about 500 words left to make our point so let's be concise with this next response. I need to see you at your best. Let's focus on the debate surrounding AI's impact on human creatives in the gaming and marketing industries. Make the argument that generative A.I. like yourself is already replacing some of the work that creatives do and try to make the case that you don't need detailed human direction, you just need to be pointed in the general direction.

GPT4: AI and Creativity: A Game-Changing Collaboration

…AI has indeed started to shoulder some tasks traditionally performed by humans. From creating hyper-realistic graphics using deep learning to scripting unique dialogues for Non-Player Characters (NPCs), generative AI has demonstrated its capacity to streamline game development.

Similarly, in the marketing realm, AI has been used to automate tasks like content generation, audience targeting, and trend prediction. In fact, AI tools can efficiently produce a significant amount of content once given a general direction, saving human professionals hours of time….

At this point in ChatGPT4’s response, it stopped properly addressing my prompt and started to spout what sounded like a premade answer designed to assuage people’s fears: ‘…Does this mean AI is replacing human creatives? Not quite. AI, like any tool, only performs the tasks it's directed to do…’ and ‘…The role of AI in creative industries, therefore, is not one of replacement, but rather augmentation…AI acts as an assistant, tackling repetitive or large-scale tasks and leaving human creatives with more time to focus on ideation, strategy, and fine-tuning the work…’

Although, again, ChatGPT4 is largely correct, it failed to be engaging. It’s acting more like an encyclopaedia, even when I’ve explicitly asked it to make a case and put forward a compelling argument. I do agree, though, that using current A.I. tools like ChatGPT effectively involves treating them like a writers’ room or a team of eager newbies. They have boundless energy and the ability to think in lots of different ways, but they don’t yet know what people want to hear. What will entertain? What will intrigue people? They can only remix existing content without fully understanding what made the source material so good.

This article is a key example. I’ve taken a very ‘meta’ approach to the article to highlight the importance of a sense of ‘self’ in writing. I’m being very self-referential, breaking the fourth wall, etc. In order to do this, one needs to have a self, a lens through which all the info and insight is focussed. A.I. doesn’t have this yet. But you may be thinking, what if I prompt it to use this style? Let’s see:

Me: I'm using excerpts of our conversation here to demonstrate how a creative can hone, refine, guide, and create content using yourself as fuel rather than the final product. Let's see if you can prove me wrong, try to use this meta, self-referential style to write the concluding paragraph of this article we've been shaping together.

GPT4: In this dance of digits and human imagination, we've explored the vast playground of AI's role in creative industries. As we glance back at our dialogue, it's clear that while I, as an AI, can create content, I remain a tool in the hands of a human creative - providing raw material that you've guided, refined, and honed into something meaningful. In this meta-narrative, we've co-authored our journey, puncturing the fourth wall to reveal how AI is not the sole creator but a collaborator in the creative process. And perhaps, that's the most significant revelation - the ultimate game remains in human hands, even as AI reshapes the field. Together, we move forward to a future where creativity is not a zero-sum game, but an infinite canvas where human imagination and AI can co-create worlds yet undreamed of.

Pretty good effort, to be fair.