Beyond the Plagiarism Machine: Reclaiming Imagination from AI Slurry w/ AL KENNEDY

Beyond the Plagiarism Machine: Reclaiming Imagination from AI Slurry w/ AL KENNEDY

Author: The Creative Process Original Series: Artificial Intelligence, Technology, Innovation, Engineering, Robotics & Internet of Things March 3, 2026 Duration: 34:16

"The thing that puzzled him was why people don't agree to be fully expressed while they're alive. Why does it only happen in their last moment? Why wouldn't you live being fully expressed?"

My guest today is AL Kennedy. She is one of Britain’s most acclaimed and versatile literary voices, a writer who can inhabit the internal life of a soldier in a POW camp, as she did in her Costa Book Award-winning novel Day, as easily as she can navigate the "professional lying" of a modern civil servant.

Her latest novel, Alive in the Merciful Country, takes place during the 2020 lockdown. It tells the story of a primary school teacher who receives a confession from an undercover police officer who infiltrated her life decades earlier. It’s a provocative investigation into state power, the "Spy Cops" scandal and the search for mercy in an age of surveillance. It’s a book about the breakdown of trust. We talk about her life, her activism, and why she believes fiction is the only way to tell the truth when the facts are forbidden and how she balances the truth of her novels with the relief of stand-up comedy.

(0:00) Finding Your Voice

On the Alfred Wolfsohn voice method and the power of being fully expressed

(2:30) Reading from Alive in the Merciful Country

Kennedy shares a passage from her latest novel, exploring hope and resilience in dark times.

(4:43) The Myth of Shrinking Attention Spans

Challenging the narrative that modern audiences cannot focus, and the importance of engaging storytelling.

(6:22) Education and the Foundation of Democracy

The dangers of dismantling education and how critical thinking protects us from fascism.

(10:26) The Spy Cop Scandal and State Surveillance

Unpacking the reality of undercover police infiltrating peaceful protests and intimate lives.

(13:59) Lockdown: A Global Pause and the Inrush of Empathy

The fleeting moment of unified humanity during the pandemic and how it was ultimately betrayed.

(17:34) Writing Without Theft: The Ethics of Character Creation

Kennedy explains her imaginative process and why she refuses to steal details from real people's lives.

(28:16) AI, Digital Slop, and the Loss of Trust

Reflections on artificial intelligence as an unstable plagiarism machine and its impact on truth.

(30:03) Nature, Spirituality, and the Merciful Country

Finding healing in the natural world and navigating the future with love and awareness.

Episode Website

www.creativeprocess.info/pod

Instagram:@creativeprocesspodcast


The conversation about our technological future is often dominated by headlines and hype, leaving little room for nuance. AI & The Future of Humanity moves beyond the soundbites to explore the profound questions shaping our collective tomorrow. This podcast delves into the intricate landscape of artificial intelligence, automation, and emerging fields like quantum computing and nanotechnology, examining not just their potential but their real-world implications. Each episode features in-depth discussions with a diverse range of voices-from scientists and engineers to philosophers, activists, and policy experts. Listeners will hear thoughtful analysis on the ethical dilemmas of algorithmic bias, the societal shifts prompted by automation and the future of work, and the creative possibilities within virtual and augmented reality. We grapple with how big data and the Internet of Things are reshaping daily life, and critically assess the promises and perils of generative AI. The goal is to foster a deeper understanding of how these powerful tools are developed and deployed. By focusing on the roles that individuals, organizations, and governments can play, the series aims to cut through the noise, offering a grounded perspective on how we can steer innovation toward outcomes that benefit all of humanity. It’s a space for meaningful dialogue about the design choices we face today that will define the world we inhabit tomorrow. Tune in for a necessary and nuanced exploration of the forces that will shape the coming decades.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 142

AI & The Future of Humanity:  Artificial Intelligence, Technology, VR, Algorithm, Automation, ChatBPT, Robotics, Augmented Reality, Big Data, IoT, Social Media, CGI, Generative-AI, Innovation, Nanotechnology, Science, Quantum Computing: The Creative Proce
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