In conversation: Pallavi Aiyar Wonders—Can AI Write the Next Bestseller?

Introduction & Background

The podcast is part of an AI series by Infosys BPM featuring renowned author and foreign correspondent Pallavi Aiyar. Pallavi has published seven books and is working on her eighth. Her first book, "Smoke and Mirrors," documented her experience as the only Chinese-speaking Indian foreign correspondent in China (2002-2009). Her most recent book "Orienting" examines Japan from an Indian perspective. In this part of the podcast, Pallavi is in talk with Hari Ram Madhira, Infosys BPM’s Finance Transformation leader. Here are the glimpses from this exciting conversation.

Changes in Reading Habits

Based on her university teaching experience in Madrid, Pallavi observes dramatic changes in young people's reading habits:

• Students struggle with sustained reading - they "do not read" for pleasure
• Professors can't assign books, only short articles
• Students have fractured attention spans, unable to focus on lectures or long-form content
• There's a "return to orality" where podcasts, videos, and spoken communication are replacing written text
• Students are good at presenting but struggle with writing essays, as they write like they speak

Storytelling in the Digital Age

On the future of storytelling and writing:

• Writing as a calling will continue, but journalism and reporting will be heavily affected by AI
• Writers are becoming "content creators" rather than traditional authors
• Storytelling remains important as humans understand themselves and their emotions through stories
• The question remains: Can AI tell stories as well as humans, or is human intelligence unique?

AI and Literature

Key insights on AI's impact on literature:

• Unlike previous technological disruptions, AI can write original work in an author's voice
• Current AI writing is comparable to "a really good graduate student" - promising but not yet masterpieces
• AI raises complex ethical and legal questions about copyright, literary impersonation, and ownership

Guidelines for Writers in the AI Era

Pallavi's advice:

• Original writing should remain your own - using AI to write for you is "cheating"
• AI can be valuable for editing, structural suggestions, identifying repetitive language, or inconsistent tone
• Good writers must be good readers first - this principle hasn't changed
• Writers need curiosity, openness to the world, and a cultivated inner life

Conclusion

Watch the video and get Pallavi and Hari’s perspective on AI and writing.

About the Speakers

Pallavi Aiyar, Award-Winning Author
Pallavi Aiyar is an award-winning journalist, author, and professor with over 20 years of global reporting experience across Asia and Europe. She writes The Global Jigsaw, a newsletter on travel and culture, and teaches media at IE University in Madrid. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Granta, and The Wall Street Journal, and she’s the author of eight books, including Smoke and Mirrors and Orienting: An Indian in Japan. Aiyar was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and is currently based in Madrid.

Hari Ram, Finance Transformation Leader – Infosys BPM
Hari Ram, the Finance Transformation Lead at Infosys BPM, collaborates closely with CFO's organizations to drive and achieve their Finance agenda encompassing technology and business processes. As part of our exploration into AI's applications across various domains, Hari is engaging with industry leaders to grasp the implications of AI and identify crucial insights and potential considerations. Stay tuned for valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of AI and its significance. #FinanceTransformation #AI #InfosysBPM.