AI can’t replace authors, says Emirates Airline Festival of Literature official

Dubai: While artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT can assist with tasks such as research, editing, and generating basic content, they cannot replace the unique contributions of human writers and authors, a top official said in Dubai.

Dania Droubi, Chief Operating Officer of the Emirates Literature Foundation – the governing body of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature – noted that although AI-generated text can seem impressive, it often lacks the depth, nuance, and emotional resonance that characterises original human writing.

“Human creativity is complex. It is shaped by our lived experiences, emotions and imagination. These are qualities that are unique to humankind, and are essential for crafting compelling narratives, poetry, and other forms of literary expression,” Droubi told Gulf News as the six-day festival began on Wednesday.

“AI can be an effective tool to enhance or augment human creativity, but it will never be an effective replacement for the creative act itself.”

Droubi pointed out that in the age of AI, where algorithms can generate text and images with increasing sophistication, the role of literary festivals and other arts and cultural events becomes even more crucial.

“They create a vital space for face-to-face connection, where authors, artists, and audiences can engage in meaningful conversations with each other and the wider world. And at a time when our phones are constantly locked in our hands and digital personas have become an extension of our lives, events like the LitFest are a powerful reminder of the irreplaceable value of human ingenuity, empathy, and the power of storytelling to connect us on a deeper level,” Droubi said.

She underlined that the festival celebrates the power and joy of human creativity.

“By celebrating creativity and fostering a love of literature and the arts, we ensure that the very things that make us human continue to thrive in the face of ongoing rapid, technological advancements.”

The opening day of the festival featured authors and speakers conducting workshops, and hundreds of school students participating in competitions and boot camps.

Droubi highlighted that, over the past 17 years since its inception, the premier literary festival has welcomed more than 2,000 speakers from across the world.

“For many of these international authors, artists, and performers, this was their first time visiting the UAE. And since then, many of them have returned to our stage as repeat visitors, or gone on to become global ambassadors for Dubai and the Emirati hospitality they have experienced here.”

Line-up over the next few days, include authors such as Abraham Verghese, Daniel Handler, Chigozie Obioma, Mohamed Mansi Qandil, Khalid Albudoor, Fadi Kattan, and Cultural Personality of the Year Waciny Laredj, and local talents like Dr Noura Alkarbi, Salha Ghabish, Nadia Al Najjar, Ali Al Shaali and Adel Khozam.

Droubi noted that the festival offers local readers a chance to connect with some of the biggest names in the literary world, and inspire them as well.

“We’ve seen visitors who grew up with the LitFest now return as adults with their own children, even encouraging them to take part in our student competitions or taking part in our writing bootcamps and workshops themselves so they too can pursue a career as published authors,” she added.