I Tried to Use AI to Summarize a Book. The Plagiarism Protections ...
As someone with a goal to read one book every month, I wanted to explore if artificial intelligence could help summarize the main concepts of a book I might not read for months or even years. The idea was to use AI to summarize nonfiction books, such as business books, while still cherishing the beautiful prose on the physical pages. To put this idea to test, I chose to use ChatGPT to analyze "Deep Work" by Cal Newport.
The Challenge of Using AI for Book Summaries
Despite having a membership with ChatGPT and high hopes for its capabilities, my attempt at using AI to summarize "Deep Work" faced significant challenges. One major roadblock was the plagiarism protections in place, which limited the tool's access to full manuscripts to avoid copyright issues.
The Quest for Meaningful Insights
Despite several attempts and prompts to extract valuable insights from "Deep Work," the process proved to be more complex than anticipated. ChatGPT struggled to provide in-depth analyses and often resorted to generic advice. It became evident that extracting meaningful insights required a combination of manual research and targeted questioning.
While ChatGPT offered some valuable suggestions, the process of navigating through summaries and reviews to identify key points was time-consuming. Furthermore, the limitations of AI tools in accessing complete book content raised questions about the accuracy of the extracted information.
Final Thoughts on Using AI for Book Summaries
Although AI tools like ChatGPT can offer some insights and perspectives on book content, the process of extracting meaningful and accurate summaries remains a challenge. While AI can provide a different lens through which to view a book, it may not fully capture the depth and nuances of the original work.
Ultimately, the experience highlighted the value of traditional reading and the limitations of relying solely on AI-generated summaries. While AI can complement the reading experience, it may not entirely replace the benefits of engaging with the complete text.
