The day “The Terminator” predicted in 1984 has finally come: the robots are taking over.
When ChatGPT went public on Nov. 30, 2022, no one could have predicted its impact on the way we create and the world we know in general. People have found a variety of ways to use Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as creating art, writing books, generating ideas, doing homework assignments and so much more. Elizabethtown College is slowly starting to incorporate AI into the classroom, and The Etownian is jumping on the bandwagon.
Starting in the Fall 2024 semester, The Etownian’s writers will be replaced by AI. This was a rather difficult decision to make. We had one long, ten-minute conversation weighing the pros and cons. While AI does not have that ‘human touch,’ its articles will get done on time and be the length required to make a layout with as little white space as possible.
Many editors on staff are rejoicing about not having to write two-ten articles per week, on top of all of their other responsibilities.
“Replacing the writers felt like the best decision going forward. It gives us more time to focus on all the important edits, photo credits and our favorite software, InDesign,” News Editor and third-year student Delaney Peckham said.
Not all of The Etownian’s staff seems happy about the transition. Some are mourning their chance to write their articles every week. Charlie Carberry, the Campus Life Editor and third-year student, had some choice words to stay on the topic.
“Any attempt to make AI that can write articles attempts to draw from writers who wrote the articles in the first place,” Carberry said.“It is a cheap mockery. Cheap because they don’t have to be paid, and a mockery because it proves that writing is seen as valuable, but writers are not.”
As Peckham alluded to, The Etownian staff still does have to use Adobe InDesign to configure the layouts. AI has not managed to gain those skills just yet. Editors will have to spend three to twelve hours every Thursday night using InDesign to create their layouts.
“I don’t think they could ever make an AI advanced enough to navigate the lovely program that is InDesign,” Managing Editor and third-year student, DaniRae Renno said. “I’m fine with AI doing everything else, as long as I can still work with the program that gives me a headache every week!”
To my fellow Etownian staffers, English majors and anyone else who enjoys writing, I wish you luck in the years ahead.
The Etownian is only the beginning of the end.
