There are many polarizing conversations on social media, perhaps because mediocrity of opinion does not garner the engagement social media demands for success. One of those conversations concerns writing about experiences an author hasn’t personally had. For some, research is not sufficient, and that puritan stance can only result in single-character, monotone contemporary stories, leaving no room for imagination and creativity. While certain perspectives can be challenging to portray accurately, we live in a time where we can recruit those who live that perspective to check our work. Research is so accessible now that there’s no reason for stories to be limited to a single character or a monotone narrative.

I love researching topics for my books and, much like a method actor, immersing myself deeply into the worlds, actions, and emotions of my characters. This brings me to my current work-in-progress, which centers around the integration of AI algorithm outputs into all aspects of society. This topic is contentious, especially within the “creative community.” The rapid integration of AI algorithm-generated content has sparked a lot of fear. The level of AI sensitivity is so high that even speaking about it positively can make one a target for cancel culture. So, how do you research and promote a book about this topic?

Very carefully, I suppose.

My research led me to explore the intersection of AI and creativity, so I chose music—a medium that incorporates writing, music, and graphics. The process began with lyrics I wrote, experimenting with various AI music generators to see the results. This experimentation led to the creation of several songs using these techniques. The lyrics were quite personal, as I wanted something easy to write. The end products were interesting—far from perfect but not objectionable. Simply abandoning these creations online was not an option, as they would still exist in the internet ether without context. I didn’t want anyone to misconstrue their origin or purpose, so I completed the process (as my character does) and finalized them with metadata and liner notes detailing their creation as part of my research for a work-in-progress, noting that the music was AI-generated.

“Storyteller” began as a research project for my upcoming book, exploring the pervasive influence of AI in everyday life. This project evolved into a visionary concept album, tracing the life of an author and taking listeners on a poignant journey from childhood trauma to his present-day reflections. Each track merges deeply personal lyrics with AI-generated music, creating a profound exploration that bridges my literary research with musical innovation.

“Storyteller” is a genuine “creative” output existing in the real world. I hope its existence engages the community in conversations (fans and critics alike), inviting them to explore technology’s evolving role in art and defining what degree of AI algorithm-generated content is acceptable (if any) in creative products.