Summary of Key Points
China Poetry Network (affiliated with *Poetry Magazine*) is the first major poetry platform in China to fully integrate DeepSeek technology. Starting from 2025, each uploaded poem will receive an AI-generated review. The featured section “Daily Excellent Poems” will also switch from expert reviews to AI-generated ones, and the network is compiling its first collection of poems with AI reviews. The interview discusses the process of generating AI reviews, how editors handle the AI-generated content, the advantages and disadvantages of AI reviews, the differences between AI and expert reviews, as well as deeper concerns about AI technology. The main focus is on exploring the current state and potential risks of AI in poetry criticism.
I. The Process of Generating AI Reviews: Editors Go Through “Two Generations of Content + Editing”
The AI review process at China Poetry Network does not involve simply publishing the generated content directly; instead, it includes a series of editorial steps:
1. Initial Selection and Pool: Editors first place the selected poems in a pool for “Daily Highlights” and then pick out candidates for “Daily Excellent Poems.”
2. Two Generations of AI Reviews: Each candidate poem will generate an initial AI review, but the chief editor, Wang Fugang, will manually input the entire poem into DeepSeek to obtain a second review.
3. Comparison and Adjustment: The two AI reviews are compared to remove redundant information (AI often produces one to two thousand words, while the section requires only three to five hundred words), and the logic is refined to create the final review for readers.
In summary, although the editors’ workload has increased, users now get more concise AI reviews.
II. The Advantages and Disadvantages of AI Reviews: A Mixed Bag
The advantages and disadvantages of AI reviews are both evident:
- Advantages: AI-generated comprehensive evaluations better capture the poetic ambiguity. Wang Fugang believes that a word-for-word analysis can be too rigid and diminish the dynamic nature and hidden meanings of poetry. Even if there are minor errors in the AI review, it can still convey the poetic essence.
- Disadvantages: The most significant issue is the lack of uniqueness; AI reviews tend to be repetitive, leading to aesthetic fatigue. For example, poor poems may receive exaggerated praise, and the analysis patterns become predictable. Wang Fugang argues that human judgment is often more intriguing.
III. Editors’ Modifications to AI Reviews: Up to 10-20% Modification
The editors make the following adjustments to the AI-generated content:
1. Removing Redundancy and Clarifying Logic: They edit out excess text and improve the logical flow according to the section’s word limit (three to five hundred words).
2. Occasional Additions: Editors may add their own comments in two situations: when they have a particular opinion about a poem or when the AI review fails to convey anything meaningful about a poor poem. These modifications account for at most 10-20% of the final review.
Although the edits are minimal, Wang Fugang feels that their involvement in the review process is still significant—“even participating in the form of expression counts as participation.”
IV. AI vs. Expert Reviews: AI Is Predictable, Experts Bring Human Touch
The main difference between AI and expert reviews lies in personalization:
- Expert Reviews: They reflect the editor’s unique style and limitations, resulting in diverse opinions (unless there is plagiarism), making the reviews more “human.”
- AI Reviews: They follow a preset pattern, lacking creativity. Wang Fugang also raises concerns about the potential for AI to be used to plagiarize or impersonate authors, which he considers a threat to art.
V. Deep Concerns: AI Is Not a Neutral Tool; It Could Become a New “Tower of Babel”
Wang Fugang emphasizes that AI is not just a tool but represents an “unknown power”:
- Technology Reflects Human Intent: AI follows literary traditions because humans instruct it to do so; it has no independent stance and exists within human will.
- Potential Threat to Artistic Creation: If everyone uses AI to streamline their work, genuine artistic creation may be stifled, leading to a situation where art loses its vitality.
- The Tower of Babel Metaphor: AI could lead to a loss of diversity in art, similar to the collapse of the Tower of Babel, where people could communicate but no longer create uniquely.
In conclusion, while AI can be helpful in poetry criticism, its limitations and risks are clear. Humans must ensure that technology does not undermine artistic creativity and preserve the essence of art.