I'll second not listening as the best way to go yet. I did listen to a chapter just to see how it felt and while the AI voice is better than they've been in the past it's still very jarring compared to listening to an actual reader. The art has me a bit disheartened because I know several professional artists who feel very much that the lack of consent surrounding the training of AI by using massive amounts of art is a huge problem. That said, I also like some of the things that are made possible by the technology, and for the way you're using it I think it's a fair use for now. I'm trying to get the girls to read the chapters now, I just put substack on the ipad so hopefully I'll get you some more feedback from their perspectives too.
Howard, thank you for checking in. Your insight and expertise in fantasy worlds (and also that I know you're a great dude) are exactly what I'm looking for in readers, especially in these early stages.
I do hear you on concerns over stealing from artists, and some of the art I've made on midjourney is definitely using brand names, though I've been surprised at how rarely what's produced looks exactly like actual artists. The styles will be reminiscent, but not quite stylistic copies. With Chat GPT, on the other hand, folks can mimic writing voices super easily.
One take i've heard: this is the wild west right now, and parameters will soon be in play to protect artists and/or provide royalties similarly to online music.
We are loving it!!
I'm so glad to hear this, Shelley. Thank you so much for reading my work!
I'll second not listening as the best way to go yet. I did listen to a chapter just to see how it felt and while the AI voice is better than they've been in the past it's still very jarring compared to listening to an actual reader. The art has me a bit disheartened because I know several professional artists who feel very much that the lack of consent surrounding the training of AI by using massive amounts of art is a huge problem. That said, I also like some of the things that are made possible by the technology, and for the way you're using it I think it's a fair use for now. I'm trying to get the girls to read the chapters now, I just put substack on the ipad so hopefully I'll get you some more feedback from their perspectives too.
(And thank you for bringing the girls in. My #1 target audience is middle readers who like fantasy and especially Redwall and Warriors.)
Howard, thank you for checking in. Your insight and expertise in fantasy worlds (and also that I know you're a great dude) are exactly what I'm looking for in readers, especially in these early stages.
I do hear you on concerns over stealing from artists, and some of the art I've made on midjourney is definitely using brand names, though I've been surprised at how rarely what's produced looks exactly like actual artists. The styles will be reminiscent, but not quite stylistic copies. With Chat GPT, on the other hand, folks can mimic writing voices super easily.
One take i've heard: this is the wild west right now, and parameters will soon be in play to protect artists and/or provide royalties similarly to online music.