I BATTLED Canva's AI Poem Generator and nearly lost... ?
People & Blogs
Introduction
In today's digital age, where creativity collides with technology, we're exploring the intersection of art, science, philosophy, and the role of AI in creative expressions. This article revolves around the captivating experiment of a spoken word poet battling Canva's AI poetry generator. The goal? To answer the question: Can a human artist outperform an AI?
The poet, a vibrant creator found on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, shared this challenge with followers who provided prompts for this poetic face-off. Each poem was crafted in two minutes by the human artist before being submitted to the AI for its take. The competition was designed to assess both the human poet and the AI across three criteria – creativity of language, originality, and emotional impact.
Prompt 1: Emotions at the Bottom of the Sea
The first prompt came from Jamie, a fellow book lover, leading the poet to reflect on the notion of emotions trapped beneath the ocean's surface. The poet utilized rich imagery of rocks, sunlight penetrating the depths, and the idea of "rock bottom" being a home for thoughts and feelings. After evaluating her own work, she graded it 9/10 for emotion, 8/10 for originality, and 8/10 for creativity, leading to a solid score of 25 out of 30.
In contrast, the AI produced a six-stanza poem that also addressed emotions beneath the sea. While it drew vivid connections through the darkness and glimmers of hope, the poet gave it a score of 17 out of 30, highlighting the human touch of vulnerability and connection that the AI missed.
Prompt 2: Hanami Petals Form a River of Pink
The second prompt, courtesy of Alia, focused on the fleeting beauty of Hanami petals. The poet conveyed a blend of admiration and nostalgia influenced by characters from beloved media. Despite her reservations about the execution, she awarded herself a 21 out of 30.
The AI’s poem, structured similarly but more classical in form, evoked the warm sentiments of spring as it explored the imagery of petals dancing with grace. After grading it, the AI narrowly edged out the human poet with a score of 22 out of 30, showcasing the AI's creativity in its descriptions, but also its lack of depth.
Prompt 3: Sitting on a London Bus at Midnight
The third challenge saw the poet diving into personal experiences on London buses at midnight. Here, she wrestled with thoughts of danger but also glimpsed beauty through her internal monologue demonstrating her unique perspective. Her score totalled 18 out of 30, noting that the poem reflected the emotional turmoil often present in such a setting.
The AI’s poem, however, missed the essence of the chaotic yet poignant bus rides. Acclaimed for its poetic form, it lacked emotional impact, leading to a score of just 9 out of 30.
Final Prompt: What Does It Mean to Be Human?
As the ultimate showdown, this prompt held particular weight. With recent life changes prompting deep introspection, the poet's response focused on the complexities of the human experience—love, grief, and connection. This vulnerable reflection led her to a score of 20 out of 30, invoking genuine feelings.
Contrastingly, the AI's work came across as generic and soulless, offering platitudes rather than depth. With scores of 2 for emotion, 2 for originality, and 2 for creativity, the AI poem fell significantly short.
Conclusion
In summary, while the AI generated some competent poetry, the humanness of the poet’s experiences shone through in a way that AI could not replicate. The poet's final scores indicated a victory for human creativity, with a deeper emotional resonance often lacking in AI-generated content. The discussion highlighted the unique perspective, experience, and connection that come from being human, invoking questions about the future of art in our increasingly digital world.
The poet encouraged readers to engage in the conversation about the essence of creativity and how our lived experiences shape poetry and art, underscoring the belief that true art connects us on a personal level—something AI has yet to master.
Introduction
- Poetry
- AI Poetry Generator
- Emotion
- Creativity
- Originality
- Human Experience
- Artistic Expression
Introduction
Q: What was the purpose of the poetry battle?
A: The poetry battle aimed to compare human artistry with AI-generated poetry, assessing creativity, originality, and emotional impact.
Q: How were the poems evaluated?
A: Poems were judged on three criteria: creativity of language, originality, and emotional resonance.
Q: Can AI replicate human emotions in poetry?
A: While AI can generate structurally competent poetry, it often lacks the emotional depth and personal experience that human poets offer.
Q: What were the prompt topics used in the challenge?
A: Prompts included themes like "emotions at the bottom of the sea," "Hanami petals," "sitting on a London bus at midnight," and "what does it mean to be human."
Q: What was the outcome of the competition?
A: The human poet generally scored higher due to the emotional engagement and uniqueness of her work compared to the AI's outputs.
