People say machines will take over the world someday. Well, if my laptop's behavior is anything to go by, we have nothing to fear. Here's how silly that sounds:
“Writers say their pen writes their articles,” I muttered. “How ridiculous! A pen is just a tool! It doesn’t think, it doesn’t feel. It doesn’t go on strike if you forget to give it a cup of coffee!"
But since so many writers claimed their pen seemed to "write for them," I thought I’d try an experiment since I’ve just returned from a cataract surgery and need some rest. Why not let my laptop take over? After all, with all this artificial intelligence talk, maybe my laptop would produce something brilliant.
So, I opened my Word document, cracked my knuckles like a seasoned pianist about to play Beethoven's Fifth, and announced dramatically, "Go on then! Write!"
My laptop stared back blankly.
I frowned. "I said... write!"
Still nothing.
"You lazy lump of plastic and wires!" I growled. I jabbed a few keys angrily. Suddenly, letters filled the screen.
"adfskljh aodsflkj zxcvbn..."
"Eh? What sort of language is this?"
Frustrated, I decided to give it some direction. "Fine, laptop, let’s start with a simple sentence: 'It was a bright sunny morning.'"
I typed those words and then sat back, waiting for my mechanical Shakespeare to continue. My screen flickered... and then appeared the words:
"It was a bright sunny morning when a madman screamed at his computer for no reason at all..."
"What nonsense is this?" I muttered, glaring at my laptop.
"Well," I imagined it replying, "if you expect me to write a column, at least provide some ideas. Even pens need hands to guide them!"
And that was when I realized the truth. Those writers who claimed their pen ‘wrote by itself’ were slightly correct. What they meant was that when you’re deep in thought, your hand scribbles faster than your mind can consciously plan. The words spill out, sometimes surprising you, but those thoughts still come from you. The pen doesn’t have a mind of its own—it’s simply tuned in to your imagination, spinning stories from the corners of your brain you hadn’t yet explored.
"So you need my help after all," I muttered to my laptop.
"Of course," it seemed to wink back.
Feeling generous, I typed, "It was a bright sunny morning when..."
And this time, the words flowed effortlessly. The stubborn machine, once my adversary, became my trusted sidekick. Ideas came tumbling out, not from circuits and microchips, but from somewhere deeper inside me—a place my fingers knew better than I did.
As the column reached its final words, I gave my laptop a grateful pat.
"Well done," I said.
Ah yes, writer's block may be real... but it's you, the writer, who breathes life into every word!
Rest assured that machines will never take over the world..!
The Author conducts an online, eight session Writers and Speakers Course. If you’d like to join, do send a thumbs-up to WhatsApp number 9892572883 or send a message to bobsbanter@gmail.com
