AI Experiment: We challenged ChatGPT to produce a fiction short story about a community that breaks free from the grip of an ancient creature feeding off negativity, only to have it resurfaces as an internet troll. We directed it to have a positive ending. We added in a few specific prompts. Then we did some editing to make it more readable. We used Dall-e with description “digital art. a small town darkened by an evil force and a group of people standing hand in hand to fight it with rainbow light”
Starvation of Shadows
Once upon a time, there existed an ancient and nameless creature, a malevolent spirit that feasted upon negative energy. This creature, hidden from sight, reveled in spreading discord and animosity among the inhabitants of a small, dreary town. For generations, its whispers fueled homophobia, anti-Blackness, sexism, and ableism, causing immense suffering and perpetuating a cycle of hate.
The townspeople, caught in the grip of this malevolent force, knew no other way of life. They believed their misery was normal, unaware that the roots of their suffering lay in the insidious manipulations of the creature that haunted their town. The nameless creature thrived on their pain, wandering the streets, sowing rumors, and penning scathing letters to the editor, delighting in the strife it created.
However, a flicker of hope emerged from the depths of despair. The people, weary of their gloomy existence, made a collective decision to change their town’s destiny. They embarked on a journey of self-discovery, striving to embrace compassion, understanding, and acceptance. They organized equity, diversity, and inclusion trainings. They produced celebrations in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., fostering unity and celebrating diversity. They stood together, shoulder to shoulder, in vibrant Pride parades, rejecting prejudice and discrimination.
As the town embraced love and solidarity, their joy grew, and the ancient creature found its sustenance waning. Its power dwindled, starved by the collective will of a community yearning for a brighter future. Yet, its hunger remained, and when the invention of the internet reached the town, a new path to feast upon negativity emerged.
The creature, became an internet troll, reveling in this new realm of unlimited possibilities. It scoured message boards and comments sections, sowing hatred and division with every keystroke. It evolved, creating viral content to fuel the fires of anger and spread misinformation across social media platforms. The creature thrived once again, thriving amidst the chaos it incited.
Unbeknownst to the ancient creature, a group of perceptive high school students witnessed the destructive influence it wielded online. Remembering the pain and suffering it had inflicted, they collaborated with the adults in their community to thwart it by creating healthier online spaces. They recognized the importance of countering the creature’s poisonous influence and safeguarding their town’s newfound harmony.
Through collective efforts, they enacted laws against the spread of bad faith content, ensuring that truth and accountability reigned supreme. They built platforms that encouraged respectful dialogue, empathy, and fact-checking. The once lawless online realms became bastions of thoughtful discourse and genuine connection.
Though the ancient creature hungered for strife, it found its power dwindling once more. Its malevolence was met with unwavering resistance from a community determined to protect their hard-won happiness. The creature, weakened and isolated, found itself on the brink of starvation once again.
But the people understood that the hunger of this ancient nameless creature would never truly fade. They realized that safeguarding healthy online spaces required constant vigilance. They made it their mission to continuously strive for empathy, inclusivity, and respect in their digital interactions. They remained united in their commitment to a kinder online world, forever vigilant against the forces that sought to sow discord. The town became a beacon of light, its people shining brightly as they nurtured an environment where love conquered all, both online and in the physical world.