Rie Kudan, winner of Japan's prestigious Akutagawa Prize for emerging authors, revealed that approximately 5% of the content in her award-winning novel, "Tokyo-to Dojo-to" (Sympathy Tower Tokyo), was generated directly from artificial intelligence.
Set in a futuristic Tokyo where AI technology is pervasive, Kudan's novel features a character named 'AI-built,' akin to ChatGPT, whose responses incorporate AI-generated text.
While Kudan acknowledged using AI-generated text in her novel, she emphasized making appropriate modifications to maintain the story's coherence and flow.
The admission sparked discussions among literary editors, with some expressing concerns about potential reader backlash if AI usage is not disclosed transparently.
In response, the Hoshi Shinichi Award for science fiction literature has implemented guidelines regarding AI-generated content in submissions, including bans on verbatim text usage and requirements for documenting the process.
Literary critic Akira Okawada noted that while AI aids authors in generating ideas and structures, its role in storytelling and creativity remains a subject of debate.
AI-Generated Novel Wins Prize in China
Last December, journalism professor Shen Yang of Tsinghua University used AI to generate a Chinese-language novel titled "The Land of Machine Memories," which went on to win second prize in a youth science and sci-fi competition.
The novel revolves around Li Xiao, a neural engineer who loses her memories and embarks on a journey to regain them with an AI companion named Neura.
Shen utilized AI-generated content for the novel's outline and content, eventually condensing 43,000 AI-generated words into a 6,000-word submission.
Despite criticism of the novel's literary quality and coherence, judges were impressed by its density of knowledge, reflecting ongoing debates about AI's impact on storytelling and creativity in literature.
