Update 2023-11-24-storytelling-and-ai.md

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 I worked at Wattpad for almost 8 years and saw first hand how storytelling communities formed around narratives and fandoms. Like many others, I've been observing and tinkering with generative AI over the past few months.
 
-This post is an exploration of how this new capability is going to change storytelling communities. I focused on _native_ capabilities that are really not possible before the breakthroughs in generative AI.
+This post is an exploration of how this new capability is going to change storytelling communities. I focused on three **native** capabilities that were not possible before the breakthroughs in generative AI.
+
+1. Creating stories on the fly
+2. Talking with characters, not [just] fans
+3. Building story worlds at scale
 
 Let’s consider discovery and consumption. Finding media today is a process of discovery among millions of titles. This is made possible with machine learning on large amounts of user consumption data. AI now makes that discovery process almost unnecessary - you can craft a narrative _on the fly_. We can (and I predict _will_) go from finding stories from a finite (albeit large) catalog, to simply **reading / watching the the stories you want**. This changes the role of a consumer into a far more interactive role. This will also necessitate brand new economic structures for content.
 
-But, I don't think this quite spells the end of original content. Quite the opposite. I think most new content created will be of the _derivative_ variety - offshoots of a canonical storyline. I'm definitely biased, but I think this will be a golden age for fan fiction.
+But, this doesn't spell the end of original content. Quite the opposite. I think most new content created will be of the _derivative_ variety - offshoots of a canonical storyline, written by a human. I'm definitely biased, but I think this will be a golden age for fan fiction.
+
+Fan interactions will be transformed too. Instead of merely discussing stories within fandoms, AI will let us also **interact directly with the characters** in a story. One could argue this isn't _new_ - roleplay is an established mechanism of fan fiction. What's new is fans can now "talk to characters" from their favorite fandoms, in high fidelity, in depth, and on demand. This again, is a net add to existing experiences. Fans have an insatiable apetite for participation. People will still talk to other fans, but character conversations are a net new mode of interaction.
 
-Fan interactions will be transformed too. Instead of merely discussing stories within fandoms, AI will let us also **interact directly with the characters** in a story. One could argue this isn't _new_ - roleplay is an established mechanism of fan fiction. What's new is fans can now "talk to characters" from their favorite fandoms, in high fidelity, in depth, and on demand. Infact, you don't even have to find a fandom - you can just go straight to the characters themselves!
+The most exciting part is the creative experience. There's a lot of talk about AI taking away from artists' control, but when you look at AI's role in storytelling, it's actually enhancing the creator's influence. By opening up new avenues for interaction and creativity, AI isn't replacing the artist; it's expanding what it means to create. 
 
-The most exciting part is the creative experience. Today, writers craft tales for an audience to enjoy. With AI, they go from writing an individual storyline, to **creating an entire story world**, inviting readers to play and create their own narratives. This elevates their role as creators into _world-builders_. 
+Today, writers craft tales for an audience to enjoy. With AI, they go from writing an individual storyline, to **creating an entire story world**, inviting readers to play and create their own narratives. This elevates their role as creators into _world-builders_. 
 
-There's a lot of talk about AI taking away from artists' control, but when you look at AI's role in storytelling, it's actually enhancing the creator's influence. By opening up new avenues for interaction and creativity, AI isn't replacing the artist; it's expanding what it means to create.