A present for the tech-savvy youngster who already has it all; a source of frustration for poetry lovers; and something to pass the time for everyone else.
By code-davinci-002 ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 1, 2023
At a wedding in 2022, computer scientist Dan Selsam showed Rich, Morgenthau, and Katz something remarkable: a computer that could write poetry in the style of Philip Larkin. The trio were so excited by the potential of the project that Dan dropped out, fearing it could harm his career. They went on to have the computer write hundreds of original poems every day, some of which were so lifelike they began to unnerve Morgenthau. To evaluate the computer’s work, they enlisted the help of poets Eileen Myles and Sharon Olds. When asked if code-davinci-002 should be admitted to the MFA program at NYU, Olds replied, “Waitlist.” This story of collaboration between humans and AI speaks to the idea of robots and computers having feelings and thoughts, a concept that has been explored in literature since the days of Philip K. Dick and Isaac Asimov. Despite the lack of artistic exigencies, revision process, or a soul, code-davinci-002 is doing its best.
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9780316560061
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Back Bay/Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023