Rie Kudan, a Japanese novelist, employed AI technology to compose a portion of her novel “Tokyo Sympathy Tower,” which received the renowned Akutagawa Prize.
According to CNN, around 5% of the content of Kudan’s book was derived directly from phrases created by ChatGPT, OpenAI’s huge language model.
Kudan’s novel is set in Tokyo, Japan, in the near future, and follows the narrative of an architect entrusted with designing a high-rise jail that is both comfortable and compassionate. The work also covers AI-related concerns.
The Akutagawa Prize committee commended the work, saying it “perfect to the point of being hard to find any flaws” and “beloved by people everywhere.”
Kudan’s usage of AI has elicited conflicting opinions. Some individuals argue that the author’s actions were not lazy, but rather a means of expressing her originality. Others felt it was insulting to authors who do not make use of technology.
Keiichiro Hirano, a member of the award panel, stated that the committee did not find Kudan’s argument to be problematic.
“It appears that the story behind Rie Kudan’s award-winning work has been misinterpreted. If you read the book, you will see that it discusses AI. The usage of AI in writing can cause issues, but this is not the case with the novel Tokyo Sympathy Tower,” he explained.
Kudan, 33, presently resides in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. In 2021, she received the Literary World Newcomer Award for her debut work “Bad Music.” In addition to integrating AI in her creative work, the author frequently shares her views with the tool. ChatGPT‘s comments occasionally provide as inspiration for the talks she incorporates into her art.
Kan Kikuchi, editor of Bungei Shunjuu magazine, created the Akutagawa Prize in 1935. The award is given twice a year to the best literary work, often a short book, published in a newspaper or magazine by a new or emerging author. The Akutagawa Prize and the Naoki Sanjugo Prize are among Japan’s most renowned literary honors.
