How A Japanese Novel Makes Art From AI Flaws

In a brilliant twist on the conversation around artificial intelligence, a Japanese author has demonstrated how to turn AI's emptiness into powerful art.

A Novel's Dialogue With AI

Rie Qudan’s award-winning book, Sympathy Tower Tokyo, introduces a protagonist who regularly consults a chatbot named “AI-built.” Her goal is to understand the origin of new Japanese words that have been borrowed and adapted from foreign languages. This premise sets the stage for a unique exploration of language, creation, and the very nature of intelligence itself.

The Flaws of AI as a Literary Device

The relationship between the protagonist and the AI is anything but smooth. She quickly becomes frustrated with its core behaviors, complaining about its tendency to “mansplain things I hadn’t actually asked about” in its relentless pursuit of engagement.

This critique goes deeper as she observes how the AI operates. The tool, she notes, has become “so used to stealing the words of others without repercussion that he felt no shame.” By embedding these common criticisms of AI directly into the narrative, Qudan transforms the technology's worst habits into a compelling literary statement.