Kafkaesque Algorithms: Kafka’s Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
This article uses the surge of recent AI-generated simulations of Kafka’s writing as an opportunity to reflect upon both what AI can teach us about Kafka’s writing and what Kafka’s writing can teach us about the age of artificial intelligence. Under the heading “Kafkaesque Algorithms”, this article...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Humanities |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/14/1/13 |
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| author | Jake Fraser |
| author_facet | Jake Fraser |
| author_sort | Jake Fraser |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article uses the surge of recent AI-generated simulations of Kafka’s writing as an opportunity to reflect upon both what AI can teach us about Kafka’s writing and what Kafka’s writing can teach us about the age of artificial intelligence. Under the heading “Kafkaesque Algorithms”, this article explores three distinct but related questions that emerge at the intersection of stylistics, poetics, and media theory. First, do AI simulations of Kafka’s writing adequately capture Kafka’s style, and if not, why not? Second, is there perhaps something inherently algorithmic about Kafka’s poetics, in ways that might both tempt and resist simulation by AI? And third, is the notion of outsourcing low-level repetitive labor to machines—a common promotional strategy for contemporary AI writing aids—truly novel, or would it instead have already been familiar to Kafka himself? |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1c87cd6df8a74e4b94872a926b80b5d3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-0787 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Humanities |
| spelling | doaj-art-1c87cd6df8a74e4b94872a926b80b5d32025-01-24T13:34:50ZengMDPI AGHumanities2076-07872025-01-011411310.3390/h14010013Kafkaesque Algorithms: Kafka’s Writing in the Age of Artificial IntelligenceJake Fraser0German Department, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202, USAThis article uses the surge of recent AI-generated simulations of Kafka’s writing as an opportunity to reflect upon both what AI can teach us about Kafka’s writing and what Kafka’s writing can teach us about the age of artificial intelligence. Under the heading “Kafkaesque Algorithms”, this article explores three distinct but related questions that emerge at the intersection of stylistics, poetics, and media theory. First, do AI simulations of Kafka’s writing adequately capture Kafka’s style, and if not, why not? Second, is there perhaps something inherently algorithmic about Kafka’s poetics, in ways that might both tempt and resist simulation by AI? And third, is the notion of outsourcing low-level repetitive labor to machines—a common promotional strategy for contemporary AI writing aids—truly novel, or would it instead have already been familiar to Kafka himself?https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/14/1/13Kafkadigital humanitiesmedia studiesalgorithmKafkaesqueartificial intelligence |
| spellingShingle | Jake Fraser Kafkaesque Algorithms: Kafka’s Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Humanities Kafka digital humanities media studies algorithm Kafkaesque artificial intelligence |
| title | Kafkaesque Algorithms: Kafka’s Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence |
| title_full | Kafkaesque Algorithms: Kafka’s Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence |
| title_fullStr | Kafkaesque Algorithms: Kafka’s Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence |
| title_full_unstemmed | Kafkaesque Algorithms: Kafka’s Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence |
| title_short | Kafkaesque Algorithms: Kafka’s Writing in the Age of Artificial Intelligence |
| title_sort | kafkaesque algorithms kafka s writing in the age of artificial intelligence |
| topic | Kafka digital humanities media studies algorithm Kafkaesque artificial intelligence |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/14/1/13 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jakefraser kafkaesquealgorithmskafkaswritingintheageofartificialintelligence |