OpenAI dips toes into creative writing waters with new model

“This is the first time I have been really struck by something written by AI,” Altman said on X

Rowan Dunne

Published

March 12, 2025

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says his major tech company may be on the cusp of creating a virtual J.K. Rowling or George R.R. Martin.

In a post on X Tuesday, he shared a short metafictional genre story written by a new AI bot OpenAI is developing specifically for creative storytelling.

“We trained a new model that is good at creative writing, not sure yet how/when it will be released,” Altman said. He added that he had never been so struck by something written with artificial intelligence.

However, some did not share Altman’s enthusiasm for the piece. In an article from the well-known tech and culture publication Gizmodo, running since 2002, author Kyle Barr described the short story as “trash” and said it really just sucks.

“I’m struck by how awful the writing is and how willing AI evangelists are to pass this stuff off as profound,” he sneered. “All this does it incentivize people who don’t know how to write to pass off AI-generated slop as their own.”

Another piece from the prominent geek news provider PC Gamer also criticized Altman’s creation. This computer-focused publication has millions of readers.

“To me, it reads like a 15-year-old’s journal,” writer Jess Kinghorn described in her headline.

AI model could be a mixed bag of benefits and problems

Once released, OpenAI’s unnamed AI bot will have the potential to provide creative writing assistance by brainstorming plot twists, dialogue and providing other ideas to organic authors. It may help them when they are experiencing writer’s block.

Furthermore, it could help with large-scale marketing and social media campaigns by writing creative blurbs at warp speed.

But, it also has the potential to significantly reduce the need for artistic content creation and writing jobs currently performed by humans, a major downside for people like us.

holy sht should I give up?

I’m a newsletter writer. Sam just tweeted about OpenAI's new creative writing model. I’m fcked.

I wanted to know how screwed I am. So I built this app in an hour that analyzes if I’m replaceable.

Have you ever wondered if AI is going to replace you… pic.twitter.com/fMVOIUFMzA

— Rameel Sheikh ⚙️ (@ramshe1000) March 13, 2025