As folks who follow Vrghr's posts from time to time know, this wuffy has been exploring the capabilities of AI as a tool to assist in recipe creation, cooking techniques, and writing. For the latter, Vrghr has primarily been employing it as a Copy Editor, to help in correction common spelling, grammar, punctuation, word-usage, repetition, etc. in his text. So far, wuff has been thrilled with the quality of the editing corrections suggested, and the ability of the AI to "stay out of the way" of wuff' s actual creative processes by not jamming its own version of the story paragraphs down Vrghr's throat.

With experience and growing confidence, and the continually-improving capabilities of the AI wuff has been using, Vrghr had gone on to ask it to do Line and Structural Editing as well. Wuff has found he needs to stay on top of the AI much more in these cases, as this sort of editing actually gets into the plot and structure of not only sentences, but the story itself. While the AI has been doing a very good job pointing out inconsistencies and punching up wuff's prose, Vrghr has needed to rewrite those suggestions in his own "voice" to make them consistent with other sections of the story.

Recently, the AI wuff has been playing with, Grok, has introduced a few new features along with its continually-upgraded software. These include the ability to upload and digest PDF and other text file types, "memory" capability to recall prior segments of an ongoing conversation, file output capabilities so one no longer needs to cut and paste corrected segments into the local file, one can download full text with embedded edits and suggestions. And most recently, the introduction of "Projects".

Projects are akin to working folders. You give a project a name, and you can bring in individual conversations with the AI on various topics, and upload text and graphics files to the project. Once attached, Grok can access any of the data in the project when asked, to provide that context into the conversation you're having. For example, for Vrghr's SF/Fantasy story, "OYrn's Tail" wuff has been doing all sorts of AI-assisted research on highly technical subjects suitable for an SF environment. Things like quantum entanglement, photolithography, nanophotonics, quantum computing, optofluidic waveguides and memory systems, organic semiconductors, and more.

Those conversations span many hours and LOTS of pages of data, with plenty of cross-references to source data. Wuff has added all of those to the project folder for reference when Vrghr's char starts messing about with his troubleshooting and other "nerdy" stuff. Of course, wuff has to translate all the technical gobbledigook into something entertaining for a reader, but the AI can pull the pertinent terms, definitions, uses, etc., and ensure Vrghr is using them properly. It also integrates those with related data in the current conversations.

Wuff has also uploaded the character files for his Dramatis Personae, with their descriptions, backgrounds, personalities, quirks, etc. And lists of character names for "NPCs", general world-building files, and other source info. Finally, Vrghr imported all those little story segments wuff has posted here on FA, as well as others he's been fiddling with.

The result? Remember when Vrghr said he had to be careful and rewrite the AI's suggestions in his own "Voice"? Well, the AI has read all wuff's story segments and now "Speaks" those suggestions in the "Voice" wuffy used to write those! YIPE! It's rather uncanny how close it gets ( and a bit scary! ) . Further, when it offers ideas for expanding on a segment or moving to the next plot line, what it's offering is almost identical to the ideas of where Vrghr was thinking of going next, for the area he was currently working! The dang thing is getting into wuff's head!

It's even picking up wuff's sense of humor! Some of the dialog lines and "aside comments" it makes about various characters and their actions, have had Vrghr laughing out loud! And yes, it does make conversational comments about the characters, their dialogs, and their actions in the story. Often rather snarky and pointed ones! LOL

The latest version of this "Project" system and the upgraded architecture behind it have graduated the AI from a rather soulless "spell checker" into a "beta version" of a writing partner and companion. Bouncing ideas off wuffy, responding to his edits with perfect changes while following up with related suggestions, and just having general conversations revolving around them.

Using the AI as a tool to improve wuff's writing has definitely helped Vrghr with his grammar and writing mechanics. But this latest version is starting to fill some of wuff's need to have co-writers or beta readers, at least for some of the early drafts. Finding compatible folks for those roles can be VERY challenging. But this AI has started to lean into that, at least at a very basic level.

Still the rate of advancement in its capability that wuff has seen over the last few months is a bit scary when Vrghr thinks of how far it might go in the years ahead. Definitely time for wuff to embrace it now and learn how to make it Vrghr's tool - before the AI makes Vrghr ITS tool!