Sarah L. Kaufman, a Pulitzer-winning dance critic, shares insights on enhancing writing in her new book, \u201cVerb Your Enthusiasm: How to Master the Art of the Verb and Transform Your Writing,\u201d published by Penguin Press. The book highlights how writers can set their work apart from AI-generated content by using fresh verbs to surprise readers and convey truth and humanity.<\/p>\n
Kaufman acknowledges the growing presence of AI in journalism and content creation, noting that many publications rely on AI-generated writing, which often requires human editors to refine. A writer who lost their job to AI described the outcome as “garbage” that wasn’t even read. The issue lies in the bland, uninspired content that AI tends to produce.<\/p>\n
As an example, Kaufman describes a search for using “perambulate” in a sentence, which led to a website offering excessive, unhelpful content before providing a simple instruction. AI-generated content often lacks nuance and originality, relying on clich\u00e9s and lifeless expressions.<\/p>\n
Kaufman tested AI by asking ChatGPT to write a love scene with active verbs, resulting in overly descriptive and clich\u00e9d prose about two trout. She further challenged the AI with a story about alligators planning brunch, resulting in a predictable narrative with limited vocabulary. These exercises highlight AI’s struggle with creativity and depth.<\/p>\n
AI’s limitations include an inability to reflect on its existence or capture the subtlety of human experience, as exemplified by Zadie Smith’s vivid descriptions in \u201cSwing Time.\u201d Kaufman emphasizes that writers possess the unique ability to evoke emotions and create memorable prose through thoughtful, dynamic language.<\/p>\n