Artificial intelligence and natural stupidity

Olga Tokarczuk grieves the death of the “old way” of writing — but thinks AI could be a boon for fiction

What makes a literary novel appealing to readers — not all readers, obviously, since tastes vary wildly? The subject matter and how the author handles it. The distinctiveness of their voice. Sometimes, frankly, a well-funded marketing campaign. There are writers whose books are declared bestsellers before a single word has been written, though their actual worth is debatable — these are the...