Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Why Worry?

Daniel Akst at the NY Times is a little worried abou Brutus.1, a computer that can write nonfiction and short pieces of fiction. Seems to me though that Akst, or anyone else for that matter, has much to worry about. Here is a sample of the computer's fiction:

Dave Striver loved the university - its ivy-covered clocktowers, its ancient and sturdy brick, and its sun-splashed verdant greens and eager youth. The university, contrary to popular opinion, is far from free of the stark unforgiving trials of the business world: academia has its own tests, and some are as merciless as any in the marketplace. A prime example is the dissertation defense: to earn the Ph.D., to become a doctor, one must pass an oral examination on one's dissertation. This was a test Professor Edward Hart enjoyed giving.
Solid, basic prose, but a little dull when you get down to it. Then again, maybe that's just my human bias talking.