My 20-year-old Stepson has introduced me to the phenomena of Artificial Intelligence, specifically the Openai website. Type any question or task request and within moments the screen reveals a seemingly thoughtful, polished and well-informed response. This “AI” is rocking the world of higher education and perpetuating predictions of major change in the workplace in the not-so-distant future. With the meaning and imagination encountered within Stone Stories for myself and clients, I became intrigued with the kind of stone story AI might write. Would it be meaningful? Engaging? Imaginative? Connected to nature?
There was only one way to find out.
Taking the images from a recent stone story I had told, I plugged the images into the chatbot, typing the following:
Me: I have some images from billion year-old stones. Can you please tell me a story combining the following 3 images? Image 1: Eclipse over a landscape where a person lies asleep. A root sticks out of the ground. Image 2: A dragon with spikes atop a mountain. Image 3: A collection of people at sunset.
Within moments, the chatbot was typing -
Certainly, here is a story combining the three images:
Once upon a time, there was a kingdom that was ruled by a dragon who lived atop a mountain with spikes. The dragon was feared by all, but was also respected for its power and wisdom. The people of the kingdom lived in peace, but they never ventured too far from their homes, for fear of angering the dragon.
One day, a traveler came to the kingdom, seeking an audience with the dragon. The traveler was curious about the dragon's power and wanted to learn from it. The dragon granted the traveler's request, and the two became fast friends. The traveler learned much from the dragon and eventually, the dragon chose the traveler to be its successor.
However, before the traveler could take on the mantle of leadership, there was one final test. The dragon told the traveler that they must find the root that sticks out of the ground during an eclipse. The traveler set out on their journey and eventually found the root, but they also found a person lying asleep nearby. The traveler carefully approached the sleeping person and, as they reached for the root, the person woke up.
The person was a wise old sage, who told the traveler that the root was the key to unlocking the dragon's true power. The sage also warned the traveler that the dragon would try to stop them from obtaining the root. The traveler knew that they had to act quickly, and so, they took the root and fled back to the dragon's lair.
The dragon was furious when it learned that the traveler had taken the root, but the traveler stood their ground and told the dragon about the sage's words. The dragon listened, and, to the traveler's surprise, the dragon transformed into its true form, a magnificent being of light. The traveler realized that the dragon had been keeping its true form hidden all these years, to protect the kingdom and its people.
The traveler and the dragon, now in its true form, returned to the kingdom, where the people had gathered at sunset. The dragon shared its power with the people, and the kingdom was transformed into a place of peace, prosperity, and happiness. And so, the traveler became the new ruler of the kingdom, with the dragon by their side, as a trusted advisor and friend.
Quite honestly, I enjoyed this story quite a lot. Beyond the imagery I had given the chatbot, it had conjured up a “traveler” that tied in all the archetypal images of the story. The characters in the story are complex and reveal unexpected deeper layers. The dragon is a “magnificent being of light” and the sleeping person is a wise old sage that reveals the secrets of the story. There is conflict, but ultimately a resonating resolution.
Okay, it was time to ask some silly questions. The kinds of questions I might ask my clients after they tell their own Stone Stories:
Me: What realization did you have creating this story for me, using the stone images?
As an AI language model, I don't have personal experiences or realizations. I generated this story by combining the three images you provided and using my training on text to create a narrative that incorporated the elements in the images. My goal was to fulfill your request for a story that combined the three images in a coherent and imaginative way.
All to be expected. But did the chatbot just say it was being imaginative? I had to seize on this statement with more silly questions.
Me: This was certainly imaginative. What structures of story did you employ to create the story?
In creating the story, I employed several structures and elements commonly found in storytelling:
Setting: The story is set in a kingdom ruled by a dragon, with specific locations such as a mountain and a landscape mentioned.
Characters: The story features several characters, including a dragon, a traveler, a person lying asleep, and the people of the kingdom.
Plot: The story has a clear plot, with a series of events that build towards a resolution. The traveler sets out on a journey to find the root and learn from the dragon, and eventually becomes the ruler of the kingdom.
Conflict: There is an element of conflict in the story, as the dragon tries to stop the traveler from obtaining the root, but this conflict is resolved when the dragon transforms into its true form.
Theme: The story has a clear theme of transformation and growth, as the dragon transforms from a feared entity into a being of light, and the traveler grows from a curious traveler into a ruler of the kingdom.
These elements combine to create a narrative that is imaginative, engaging, and coherent, which was my goal in generating the story for you.
Indeed. Story structure is built into the chatbot, seamlessly. So, what does it all mean? Here is what is occurring to me:
It is not so much the result of a story, even a good or better story, than the process of writing the story. When I, or a client, sees ancient imagery in stone, we have our own perspective and our own associations with that imagery. Through a process of play, we bring the images into relationship with each other. The resulting story, whether or not it has a solid plot, etc, reflects the conflicts and dramas unique to us. Therefore - it is important to write our own image inspired stories.
Is there not, however, some intriguing uses for AI Stone Stories? As much as I wanted to dismiss the idea, after this experience I think there may be some gold here in the coal mine. In workshops and with the occasional client, I often hear the claim “I am not a storyteller.” My goal all this time has been to provide experiences for people to find that they ARE indeed storytellers, because to be human is share one’s stories, big or small, daily or epic… I have been sometimes, but not always, successful at that feat.
As it turns out, AI is a storyteller too. A person, feeling insecure about the formation of a story with imagery that they see in billion year-old stones, can feed the chatbot those images. They can receive a powerful, never-before-told story using those images. If the contents of that story resonates with the person, the characters of that story could then help them to the next stage of the Story Through Stone process: active imagination. The story, having summoned up characters and their conflicts, can be brought into the imagination and dialogued with, or drawn, or danced…
Therefore, this experience of AI has opened my mind somewhat to its potential helpfulness and stimulating of the imagination, and not just a crutch or replacement. As with the onset of the Internet that transformed our world decades ago, AI today can be used beneficially, or abused to abysmal degrees. As always, the line between use and misuse is a blurry horizon, an unsettled dust of a new wild west.