How Robots Mastered English Writing

How Computers Learned to Write: Exploring Artificial Intelligence in “Literary Theory for Robots”

In Dennis Yi Tenen’s latest book, “Literary Theory for Robots,” the author delves into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence (AI) and how computers have acquired the ability to write. Tenen draws intriguing parallels between modern-day chatbots, pulp-fiction plot generators, medieval prophecy wheels, and traditional dictionaries to illustrate his argument. He refutes the prevailing notions of both utopians, who believe that robots will save humanity, and doomsayers, who fear that robots will be our downfall. Tenen asserts that language and learning will always maintain a distinct human element, one that emerges not solely from syntax but also from personal experience. Without this core of meaning, language becomes nothing more than parrot-like chatter, as Descartes pointed out in his “Meditations.”