AI has skill, but not art; cant replace human emotion: Chetan Bhagat

pune: noted author chetan bhagat has dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence (ai) and ai-based language tools could threaten the profession of writers, especially fiction authors, asserting that while ai may possess skill, it lacks the art and emotion essential to storytelling.“ai will have a skill but not an art,” bhagat said at the launch of his latest book '12 years: my messed-up love story' in pune on sunday, where he was in conversation with political analyst tehseen poonawalla.responding to questions about ai's impact on writing, bhagat noted that authentic writing is rooted in lived human experiences. “ai hasn't had its heart broken. my heart was broken. chatgpt doesn't have childhood trauma. i do. i've felt love, i've had breakups, i've lived through highs and lows — and what works in books is the ability to transfer those real feelings to readers,” he said.he added that storytelling thrives on human connection. “people are interested in people. if both of us were replaced by bots, they'd talk about everything — from nuclear science to politics — but who would want to listen?”bhagat challenged the idea that ai could rival creative writing, saying, “tell me a single book written by ai. these models can handle administrative work, but they cannot bring true emotion into writing.” even if ai learns to mimic emotions, he said, readers would reject inauthentic content.talking about his new novel, bhagat described it as a love story between a 33-year-old divorced man and a 21-year-old woman, exploring the complexities of relationships across generations. “it's funny, emotional, and thought-provoking — one of my best books so far,” he said.bhagat also stressed that discipline, hard work, focus, and observation remain irreplaceable qualities for aspiring writers despite the rise of ai tools.