Renowned poetess, fiction writer and lecturer at National University of Modern Languages (NUML) Dr. SnoberAltaf has expressed concern that regional literature is under threat due to the homogenizing effect of artificial intelligence (AI) on literature worldwide.
Talking to state run news agency here on Sunday, Dr. Snober said that Urdu literature is not yet available in the Unicode format and therefore not integrated into machine learning systems. She called for urgent efforts to document and preserve regional literature before it diminishes like some local languages. She said that while AI is generating fictional plots, stories and poems, it cannot match the creativity and emotional depth of human writers. She argued that the unique perspectives and experiences of human authors remain invaluable despite advanced algorithms. Dr. Snober was confident that genuine writers with their unique expression and understanding of stylistic elegance will always have an unreplicable place. She observed that people may become more sensitive while sharing emotions with empathetic AI, but ultimately it is designed not to upset users. She said that advance technologies are introduced by the developed countries and third world countries find it difficult to match pace and adoption. She called for awareness in developing countries like Pakistan about both the utility and potential risks of rapidly emerging AI technologies. Dr. Snober concluded on a hopeful note, saying that growing participation in literary festivals demonstrates that reading habits remain strong despite digital disruption.
