AI in the eyes of writers, Sinologists

Famed American British writer Henry James once said, "It takes a great deal of history to produce a little literature”.

As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly evolves, it may take only minutes or even seconds for AI tools to generate poetry in the style of Li Bai, craft short stories with an O. Henry twist, and translate lengthy texts into various foreign languages.

Can AI truly replace writers and translators? Participants of the 7th International Sinologists Conference on Translating Chinese Literature, held in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, from Monday to Wednesday, faced this significant issue head-on.

The event, co-hosted by the China Writers Association and the Nanjing municipal people’s government, brought together 39 Sinologists from 31 countries and 39 Chinese writers to discuss the latest developments in Chinese literature and how to expand its reach in the fast-changing era.

Bi Feiyu, a Mao Dun Literature Prize recipient and author of Massage, The Moon Opera, and Three Sisters, strongly disapproves of the use of AI in writing.