I asked Chat GPT to write a short essay on the cultural influence of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and here is what it gave me:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a cultural phenomenon that has had a significant impact on popular culture since its debut in 1997. The show, created by Joss Whedon, ran for seven seasons and followed the story of a teenage girl named Buffy Summers who was chosen to be the "Slayer," a powerful warrior tasked with fighting against vampires and other supernatural beings.

One of the most notable cultural influences of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is its portrayal of strong, independent female characters. Buffy and her friends, including Willow and Anya, challenged traditional gender roles and stereotypes by demonstrating their intelligence, bravery, and physical strength. The show's emphasis on female empowerment inspired a generation of young women to pursue their goals and to see themselves as capable of achieving anything they set their minds to.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer also had a significant impact on the horror genre. Prior to the show's debut, horror movies and TV shows often relied on cheap scares and shock value to frighten their audiences. However, Buffy took a different approach by combining horror with humor and witty dialogue. This unique blend of genres attracted a wide audience and helped to redefine the horror genre as a whole.

In addition to its impact on gender roles and the horror genre, Buffy the Vampire Slayer also influenced the way that TV shows are written and produced. The show's use of serialized storytelling, character development, and overarching themes paved the way for other shows like Lost, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones. Buffy's success also demonstrated the value of niche programming, and paved the way for other genre shows like The X-Files, Supernatural, and The Walking Dead.

Overall, Buffy the Vampire Slayer has had a profound impact on popular culture that is still felt today. Its portrayal of strong female characters, unique blend of horror and humor, and innovative storytelling techniques have influenced countless TV shows, movies, and other forms of entertainment. Buffy's legacy is a testament to the power of good storytelling and the lasting impact that popular culture can have on society.

Pretty meh

Paved the way for the X-files? Um. No.

Everything I’ve seen posted anywhere from Chat GPT pretty much reads like that - like a middle school book report that might get a C or might get called out for plagiarism.

Yeah. I read articles about it and it's like anyone who writes for a living will be out of work in 3 years, but then you see what Chat GPT produces and you wonder what the people writing those articles are smoking.

Going back - to Laga - seemingly it started off with the monkey selfie, but with AI it seems to have been expanded.

Most of what I've read and seen seems to be that AI-generated material is less than impressive. And someone's come up with an app that can be used for artwork to make it unusable for AI to take.

In copywriting, I find it useful for giving me headline/subject line ideas, in particular. Lists to work from, that kind of thing. I definitely save time when I would otherwise be solo-brainstorming those, but I've never used even a headline word for word. There's an underlying current of perfunctory to most of what comes forth.

100% great for sparking ideas, but, yeah, not worried I'll never work again. By a long shot.

That's interesting, JenP. I can see that being useful.

That makes sense, JenP. I can imagine that a huge number of middle and high school students would find it a dream come true.

I can see why teachers may be concerned - is that C paper just crappy student writing or is it AI of some kind? But everything I've seen is still very mediocre.

This has some interesting insights about what AI writing is good at or good for and what it can’t do [link]

I need to think about it some more. I feel a little obliged to read this book so I can have an informed opinion, but I don’t know that I will. So many books tbr

ETA: spending an audible credit on pre-ordering. Also thinking about craftsmanship in a broader sense, artisanal what have you’d and all that.