As AI increasingly bests human doctors, lawyers, and perhaps soon [even poets](https://www.thepierian.org/article/8482f7ddc33074614579b3a6c653e326/Rise\_of\_the\_Machines), it’s fair to ask “how could a device capable of nothing more than calculation…possibly beat a human with a lifetime of experience, instant pattern recognition, [and] unfathomable intuition”? This question was posed when a leading talent in his field was humiliated by AI, and he refused to accept it, claiming that if the test were repeated, “I personally guarantee you I will tear it to pieces.” But the results spoke for themselves. He, like John Henry, had become the last of his kind. One commentator noted darkly, “It had the impact of a Greek tragedy.” A more conciliatory colleague noted the “physiological and psychological aspects” of the challenge couldn’t be underestimated, and sadly, were hardly in humanity’s favor. These quotes were not written about ChatGPT’s latest conquest, but events that took place nearly thirty years ago. The first is from *Time *(“Kasparov: Deep Blue Funk, 2/26/1996), and the rest from *TheNew York Times *(“Swift and Slashing, Computer Topples Kasparov,” 5/12/1997). Both discuss the capitulation of Gary Kasparov to IBM’s purpose-built chess computer, Deep Blue. There are technical reasons why AI appears to have stumbled after its initial successes, but computer scientists have kept at it, chipping away at many fields, such as insurance, weather forecasting, and logistics. Most of us interact with a virtual tastemaker innumerable times per day in the form of Google search, streaming services, and social media algorithms. The critic has largely been superseded by the algorithm. Creative writing appears to be next. #@callout Ours is a kind of a game where creativity ought to beat computational might Poets may feel territorial about their human@blur Quaesisti a me, Lucili, quid ita, si prouidentia mundus ageretur, multa bonis uiris mala acciderent. Hoc commodius in contextu operis redderetur, cum praeesse uniuersis prouidentiam probaremus et interesse nobis deum; sed quoniam a toto particulam reuelli placet et unam contradictionem manente lite integra soluere, faciam rem non difficilem, causam deorum agam. @blur 2. Superuacuum est in praesentia ostendere non sine aliquo custode tantum opus stare nec hunc siderum coetum discursumque fortuiti impetus esse, et quae casus incitat saepe turbari et cito arietare, hanc inoffensam uelocita tem procedere aeternae legis imperio tantum rerum terra marique gestantem, tantum clarissimorum luminum et ex disposito relucentium; non esse materiae errantis hunc ordinem nec quae temere coierunt tanta arte pendere ut terrarum grauissimum pondus sedeat inmotum et circa se properantis caeli fugam spectet, ut infusa uallibus maria molliant terras nec ullum incrementum fluminum sentiant, ut ex minimis seminibus nascantur ingentia. @blur 3. Ne illa quidem quae uidentur confusa et incerta, pluuias dico nubesque et elisorum fulminum iactus et incendia ruptis montium uerticibus effusa, tremores labantis soli aliaque quae tumultuosa pars rerum circa terras mouet, sine ratione, quamuis subita sint, accidunt, sed suas et illa causas habent non minus quam quae alienis locis conspecta miraculo sunt, ut in mediis fluctibus calentes aquae et noua insularum in uasto exilientium mari spatia. @blur 4. Iam uero si quis obseruauerit nudari litora pelago in se recedente eademque intra exiguum tempus operiri, credet caeca quadam uolutatione modo contrahi undas et introrsum agi, modo erumpere et magno cursu repetere sedem suam, cum interim illae portionibus crescunt et ad horam ac diem subeunt ampliores minoresque, prout illas lunare sidus elicuit, ad cuius arbitrium oceanus exundat. Suo ista tempori reseruentur, eo quidem magis quod tu non dubitas de prouidentia sed quereris. 5. In gratiam te reducam cum dis aduersus optimos optimis. Neque enim rerum natura patitur ut umquam bona bonis noceant; inter bonos uiros ac deos amicitia est conciliante uirtute. Amicitiam dico? immo etiam necessitudo et similitudo, quoniam quidem bonus tempore tantum a deo differt, discipulus eius aemulatorque et uera progenies, quam parens ille magnificus, uirtutum non lenis exactor, sicut seueri patres, durius educat. 6. Itaque cum uideris bonos uiros acceptosque dis laborare sudare, per arduum escendere, malos autem lasciuire et uoluptatibus fluere, cogita filiorum nos modestia delectari, uernularum licentia, illos disciplina tristiori contineri, horum ali audaciam. Idem tibi de deo liqueat: bonum uirum in deliciis non habet, experitur indurat, sibi illum parat.