Satire
The unsatirized version of this post can be found here:
How we’re approaching AI-generated writing on Medium
Transparency, disclosure, and publication-level guidelines
blog.medium.com
Oct. 16, 3394 BCE
Last moon, we gathered around the great fire and asked the tribe what you think about the emergence of these so-called “written symbols,” and many of you beat your drums in response. We received hundreds of smoke signals and relay runners expressing a wide range of perspectives — from excitement over the potential uses of these new “markings” to deep concern about the impact they’ll have on a storytelling platform like our campfire circle, which prizes human memory and the sacred oral tradition.
First, thank you for that thoughtful feedback. It’s clear this is an issue weighing heavily on the minds of many, and it’s an important one. This is a moment of huge transformation in our world beneath the stars, and the potential implications are both vast and still shrouded in the mists. But they’re also not abstract: written symbols are here now, scratched onto cave walls and etched into stone tablets, and it’s important to start wrestling with that impact now too, even as the landscape is still taking shape.
There were a few main themes that stood out in your feedback. Grug the Elder’s proclamation captured a common sentiment: “I’m not interested in my tribe’s resources supporting scribes. I joined to support storytellers who pass down tales through the spoken word. I don’t want to give writing the attention or legitimacy on a platform dedicated to oral tradition.”
Many responses referenced the need for transparency and visible signs. As Helga of the North declared at our gathering, “If people are going to use these mysterious symbols, they should wear the Garment of Glyphs, so all may know.”
In addition to heeding your wisdom, we’ve reached out to neighboring tribes and some of the scribes behind recent writing advances to better understand where things are headed and how others in our community are starting to respond. All of this has helped us in thinking through our own approach as a tribe that values both the flames of innovation and the roots of our ancestors, and deciding what action to take.
The clear first step for us around written content is related to transparency and disclosure, and so we’ve updated our storytelling standards to include a writing-specific guideline:
We welcome the responsible use of writing around the campfire. To promote transparency and help set listener expectations, we require that any storyteller using writing assistance must wear the Garment of Glyphs during their tale.
There are a few reasons we settled on this initial approach — and I do want to underscore that this is just our initial approach; as this new magic and its use continue to evolve, our policies may, too. We believe that creating a culture of disclosure, where the shared expectation of good tribal citizenship is that users of writing are visibly identified, empowers listeners. It allows them to choose their own reaction to, and engagement with, this kind of storytelling, and clearly understand whether a tale is woven from memory or aided by symbols.
Additionally, we recognize that there are new horizons and possibilities with this magic — some assistive, thoughtful, and genuinely creative. We’re staying open to its possible uses.
So for now, when we encounter stories that we believe are written but the teller is not wearing the Garment of Glyphs, we won’t share them around our gatherings. We may revisit this decision down the path, but for now, asking for visible disclosure feels like the right first step.
There is room for multiple approaches, however — while we’re thinking about it from the story circle’s perspective, tribal councils have been working on guidelines that best suit their needs and listeners, which are in many cases more detailed and specific, and many of them prohibit writing entirely. Some examples:
The Oral Tradition Circle, “A Decree about Written Symbols”
We’re committed to sharing stories by human voices only, and why we don’t — and won’t — accept tales told in whole or in part using the forbidden symbols.
The Bard’s Guild Official Stance on Written Stories:
Any aspiring storytellers who present written content will be banished from the hearth like the shadow-chasers they are.
Any current Bard who submits a written story will likewise be exiled beyond the great river. No second chances, no retellings. That may sound harsh, but we want to be completely clear on this.
The Storytellers’ Cooperative’s Guidelines:
• Do not share any tales composed solely using writing instruments.
We expect our approach to written storytelling will change over time (as is likely for the above councils and others), and we’ll continue to communicate those changes as they come. For now, we’d love your thoughts and feedback.
Some among us fear that these silent symbols will replace the warmth of human voices, that marks on stone might one day stand where storytellers once sat. Others see writing as a tool that could help preserve our sagas for future generations, should the stars fade or the mountains crumble.
We stand at a crossroads between tradition and innovation. Let us navigate this path together, with open hearts and clear intentions.
Thog Wordshunner dons the Garment of Glyphs as he marks these words, honoring the tribe’s decree.
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