TOKYO - Last month, the Akutagawa Prize was awarded to "Tokyo Compassion Tower," making Kudan Rie a topic of global discussion due to her unique acceptance speech, revealing that about 5% of the novel utilized text generated by AI.
"Tokyo Compassion Tower," praised for its near-flawless narrative during the selection process, is set in a fictional Japan planning to construct a high-rise tower for criminals to live comfortably. The story follows the architect Makina as she grapples with society's excessive tolerance while living her life with conviction.
The revelation that Kudan used generative AI in her work led to various reactions globally, with international media acknowledging her for admitting to AI's role in her book's creation.
The unexpected scale of the response has overwhelmed Kudan, who did not anticipate such widespread attention, especially from foreign media. She expressed her surprise at the international coverage of the Akutagawa Prize and the creation of a Wikipedia page in her name before any translations of her work have been published.
Kudan utilized AI in her narrative, depicting characters using generative AI as a dictionary. For example, when a character in "Tokyo Compassion Tower" becomes curious and uses their smartphone to look up the etymology of "sports," the AI responds with its Latin origin, "deportare," meaning "to carry away" or "to transport."
In her conversation with the AI, Kudan inquired if it knew about its inability to read, to which the AI, designed for text-based information processing, replied in the negative. This dialogue was directly incorporated into the novel, showcasing Kudan's innovative use of AI-generated text.
Kudan's exploration of generative AI in literature was motivated by her desire to provide a more authentic representation of AI's potential and limitations. By contrasting the AI's formulaic responses with the nuanced, sometimes flawed language of human characters, Kudan sought to provoke thought about the essence of language.
Her decision to include AI as a theme was inspired by the dissonance she felt when using AI to brainstorm names for a fictional prison in Tokyo, resulting in generic, katakana-heavy suggestions. This experience led her to reflect on the authenticity of AI-generated language and its contrast with the genuine expressions of human emotion and thought.
Kudan's novel, "Tokyo Compassion Tower," not only challenges readers to reconsider their relationship with language in the age of AI but also underscores the importance of preserving the depth and complexity of human communication in a rapidly evolving digital world.
