Echoes of Tomorrow: a speculative fiction of authenticity and authorship in the age of infinite reproduction
In 2032, the literary world was abuzz with controversy surrounding one of its brightest stars, Audrey Lu. Known for their distinct narrative style and deep, philosophical storytelling, Lu had become an intellectual hero of their generation. However, with the release of their latest novel, “Echoes of Tomorrow,” allegations arose that shook the foundations of their career.
The accusations were devastating: Lu was charged with using generative AI to compose their newest work. Critics and fans alike were bewildered, unable to reconcile the allegations with Lu’s staunch advocacy for human creativity in literature. The situation took a surreal turn when it was revealed that the generative AIs in question had been extensively trained on Lu’s early works as well as AI-generated fan fiction published in online forums. In their relentless processing and learning, these machines had managed to replicate Lu’s style with such precision that their simulations were indistinguishable from, and by some accounts, more “authentic” than the originals.
The climax of this absurdity came when AI plagiarism checkers, tools designed to safeguard originality in a world awash with synthetic content, accused Lu of plagiarism. The irony was as thick as it was infuriating; Lu was being accused of stealing from themselves, or more accurately, from the ghostly digital afterimage of their own creative mind.
The controversy became a spectacle, with debates raging on social media platforms, literary forums, and academic circles. Was it possible for an AI to capture the essence of human creativity so completely that it could not only mimic but exceed it? And what did it mean for an author to compete against their own shadow, cast not by the setting sun but by the heat signatures of vast data centers?
Amidst the turmoil, Lu remained surprisingly calm. They saw in this debacle not just a personal crisis but a pivotal moment for literature and art in the age of artificial intelligence. Feeling their career might be at stake, Lu embarked on a journey to clear their name and reclaim their work. They delved into the murky waters of copyright law, digital ethics, and AI philosophy, engaging with programmers, lawyers, and fellow artists. Their quest was for vindication and understanding of the new frontier where human and artificial creativity intertwined.
The resolution came in an unexpected form. Instead of fighting against the tide, Lu embraced it. They organized a public demonstration, a live-streamed writing session where they would compose a short story in real-time, broadcast for the world to see. Side by side with a generative AI, Lu wrote for an entire day, their words flowing onto screens across the globe, taking breaks to pace and ponder narrative and character details aloud, even chatting with some spectators.
The generative AI, meanwhile, spewed perfect prose in the style of Lu at incredible speed.
The event was a revelation. Watching Lu’s creative process unfold, some people began appreciating the nuanced differences between human and AI-generated literature. For all its mimicry, the AI lacked the depth of experience, the subtle emotional undertones, and the spontaneous bursts of inspiration that characterized Lu’s work. In some cases, Lu responded to the AI mimicking her style too exactly, sparking Lu to write in divergent directions. The automaton was outstanding at imitation but could not decide it wanted to do something different. In the early 2030s, AIs advanced to beat various Turing tests, yet it is still widely understood that they lack sentience or the human illusion of free will.
In the aftermath, Lu emerged as a vindicated author and a leading voice in the dialogue between human and artificial intelligence in art. Nonetheless, AI-generated fan fiction continued, with fan bases fracturing between the original authors and multiplying “Simulacra Authors” that are partnerships of human prompters and AI writers referred to as a single entity. Li BAi2, Marq TwAIn, R.K. Naraiyan, and Harukai Murakamai are just a few of the famous simulacra authors. There are many simulacra authors modeled on Audrey Lu, including Aimei Lu, Aiping Lu, and Ailin Lu.
The concept of simulacra comes from the philosopher Jean Baudrillard and refers to copies or representations that either have no original or are so abstracted from their origins that they become their own reality, thereby challenging our perceptions of authenticity and truth. Proponents herald a new era of storytelling where the distinction between author and algorithm is indiscernible. The narratives created are often so compelling and nuanced that they might challenge our understanding of authorship, creativity, and even the nature of reality itself, embodying Baudrillard’s concept by existing as real without being grounded in reality, thus becoming hyperrealities that redefine the essence of fiction. Detractors decry the loss of humanity in the creative process.
Lu continued using AI to challenge their creativity and avoid the ruts of self-imitation that often accompany success. “Echoes of Tomorrow” was hailed as a critical inflection point in our negotiation of humanity in the age of uncanny algorithms and infinite reproduction. Lu, with their reputation restored, continued to write, their prose interrogating the dynamic relationship between humanity and the machines we create.
