Imagining the AI Revival of Agatha Christie

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Is the Author Really Gone?

Occasionally, I notice advertisements for courses that claim to teach the secrets of becoming a remarkable creative writer. They seem delightful, but why bother with this when there’s an alternative?

A course that piqued my interest recently is the BBC Maestro, particularly one led by comic icon Alan Moore. We’ve refined parts of it, yet I feel this specialized method has dulled some of his more innovative ideas. Mention to Moore, who considers Northampton the center of the universe and penned a 1174-page novel around this notion, that he isn’t offering us anything fresh.

Maestro’s latest offerings feature surprisingly unusual instructors. Crime fiction maven Agatha Christie would be quite the surprise for keen readers, given that she departed in 1976. The promotional text is genuinely captivating.

Time travel? Cloning? No, this is a replica of Christie’s AI. Actress Vivien Keene was cast to portray a writer, and AI was utilized to recreate her face and voice.

A similar example – “Gen-AI-powered avatar inspired by Aldous Huxley’s science fiction concepts” – was showcased at the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day event on May 7th. Marca Older, a humanitarian and science fiction writer with an impressive portfolio, attended and was left speechless. As she noted on Blueski, the avatar’s responses could be described as “the frustratingly vague ‘perhaps both’ response filled with jargon“.

Creating an AI clone might seem overwhelmingly complicated, but it does offer a certain reassurance, utilizing a bot based on a deceased author who won’t throw fits in the studio. In contrast, feedback feels like every writer’s struggle. I constantly wonder where my next paycheck will come from. It’s already challenging enough competing with those who radiate talent and charisma. Now, we’re battling with the legacies of the departed.

Or, as I remarked on Blueski, in a moment of unrelated frustration: “There are live, breathing science fiction authors! … You could invite them to participate!!” Feedback concurs: Whatever the context, we prefer to feature our own courses.

The Nature of Intelligence

In science, it’s fundamental to understand that correlation does not imply causation. Just because two variables appear related doesn’t necessarily mean they are connected—unless you’re inclined to believe that Maine’s divorce rate is a result of margarine consumption. It’s a rather basic concept often overlooked in feedback, yet we frequently encounter these misleading correlations.

Reporter James Dinneen draws our attention to unpublished research with an intriguing title: Human intelligence shaped by solar activity rhythms. It suggests a notable correlation between “high-energy solar proton events” and the number of Nobel Prize winners born in a given year.

Researchers specifically examined Nobel laureates “in the fields of science (including economics) and literature.” We must mention our amusement at the subtle parentheses around “economics.”

The authors assure us that the results are “adjusted for a six-month prenatal offset.” Why specifically 9 or 5 months? Will correlations solely emerge from this peculiar adjustment? Regardless, it leads to the hypothesis that “atmospheric radiation patterns could serve as environmental stressors impacting neural circuit formation during prenatal development.” Certainly, that’s one way to interpret the data.

If anyone comes across a more outrageous correlation-based claim, please send it to our usual address. Until then, feedback advises expectant individuals to consider wearing protective gear just in case.

Breakdowns

Feedback believes we should abandon nominal determinism, but alas, we can’t. It was amusing that Andy Greene’s email forewarned consultant urologist Nick Burns Cox, but a quick search from 2019 revealed he had indeed done it. However, in a delightful twist, Stephen Alexander on the May 19th Edition of BBC Radio 4’s Briefing Room featured one sound engineer, David Crackles.

Sam Edge (and we truly hope to scale new heights) flagged two occurrences from issue 3540 of the magazine. Reviews of Intertidal Zone somehow failed to highlight his “satisfactory and fitting” name, Yuvan Aves, from the naturalists who began his birdwatching career. A few pages later, he noted, “The science magazine was being reviewed by one Alexander Magazinov,” in your very own esteemed column (dear readers, take this as a guideline on how to submit).

Finally, while this isn’t overtly nominal deterministic, it’s certainly adjacent. Amy Marshsholl shared on Blueski: “OMG, I just saw a sign stating ‘Erectile dysfunction is a growing concern’”. The question remains: Was that intentional, or did someone genuinely miss the point?

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