Channeling Sappho with ChatGPT
DRAFT FOR REVIEW BY MICHAEL ARNUSH
Michael Arnush, Associate Professor Emeritus of Classics at Skidmore College, is no stranger to the power of language—both ancient and contemporary. Renowned for his expertise in Greek and Roman history, Arnush has spent decades unraveling the lives and words of figures like Herodotus, Thucydides, and Alexander the Great. Yet, in late 2022, his scholarly journey took an unexpected turn when he encountered generative AI. What began as cautious experimentation with ChatGPT soon evolved into a profound creative exercise: channeling the ancient Greek poet Sappho through AI.
The Moment of Introduction: AI Enters the Dean's Office
In November 2022, while serving as Associate Dean of the Faculty at Skidmore, Arnush first engaged with ChatGPT. "I received an announcement about this new tool," he recalls. "I thought, let’s see what happens."
His initial prompts were practical: "Give me a syllabus for a course on Roman history" and later, "Write a tenure recommendation letter." Both outputs were serviceable, if imperfect. But the implications were clear—this technology could imitate academic structures remarkably well.
As faculty and students began experimenting with AI, concerns arose about academic integrity. "Students started using it immediately, and faculty concerns followed just as quickly," Arnush notes. Workshops and discussions ensued, led by Skidmore's Learning Experience Design and Digital Scholarship (LEDs) office. Conversations with colleagues, including Adrienne Zurner from the French department and Caitlin Jorgensen from the Writing Center, underscored the dual-edged nature of AI: a tool with immense potential but also a disruptor of traditional academic norms.
A Poetic Experiment: Margaret and the Voice of Sappho
Amidst these conversations, Arnush was developing a novel. Its protagonist, Margaret, a contemporary papyrologist, is racing against the tenure clock while grappling with the pressures of academic production. In her moment of desperation, she turns to AI to create something extraordinary—a poem in the style of Sappho.
"I knew I had to try it myself," Arnush says. "I asked ChatGPT to write a poem about Sappho in ancient Greek. The first result was in modern Greek. So, I refined the prompt—archaic Greek, hendecasyllabic verse, Sapphic style. And it delivered."
The resulting poem stunned him. "The adjectives, the vocabulary, the meter—it was all there. Could I have written it myself? No. Could Margaret? No. But ChatGPT could."
Arnush validated the poem with his scholarly eye. It wasn't just passable—it was good. "It felt like a genuine echo of Sappho’s voice across millennia."
Collegial Reactions and Ethical Boundaries
The poem stirred reactions among Arnush's academic peers. While some were fascinated by the achievement, others raised concerns about authorship and academic honesty. Arnush himself remains deeply reflective about these questions. "There’s a line AI shouldn’t cross," he asserts. "In Margaret's case, the use of AI was narratively necessary—it was part of her story. But I wouldn’t use AI to write the rest of the novel. That would feel like a betrayal of the creative process."
This ethical stance aligns with Arnush's broader views on AI in academia. While he sees the potential for AI to enhance teaching, research, and even creative exploration, he also warns against over-reliance. "Human creativity isn’t just about outputs. It’s about the struggle, the imperfection, and the deeply personal choices that come with crafting something new. AI can imitate, but it can’t truly struggle."
Looking Forward: A Scholarly Reflection on AI
As AI tools become increasingly integrated into classrooms, writing studios, and creative practices, Arnush remains both hopeful and cautious. "We’re at the beginning of something monumental," he says. "AI is neither inherently good nor bad—it’s a tool. What matters is how we wield it."
For Arnush, the experience of channeling Sappho through AI serves as both a testament to the technology’s potential and a reminder of its limitations. "The poem exists," he concludes. "But it exists because I, a human, chose to ask the question. AI might have written the words, but the story—that's still ours to tell."
In a world where ancient voices meet cutting-edge technology, Michael Arnush stands as a bridge between past and future, reminding us that the art of storytelling—whether through the chisel of a stone tablet, the scratch of a quill, or the hum of a machine—remains a profoundly human endeavor.
Editor's Note:
This story was generated by ChatGPT 4.o from this prompt, which includes Arnush’s bio and the transcript of an hour-long interview that Otter generated from an audio recording. Other than the prompt, I didn’t actually “write” any of this. I just gave ChatGPT these two source materials and it did the rest. It raises a question: Should I share the byline?
I asked Michael his thoughts on the draft. [Michael: I propose to insert your quote here. How did ChatGPT do?]
— Dan Forbush