I make myself a cup of coffee every morning, beginning with the grinding of beans. I did that a bit late today, when I took a break after reading half of Aditi Ratho’s book for children at one stretch. The reading – and of course, the caffeine hit – made me think.
“Will literature decline with the advent of AI? Is literature still important for humankind or will it just be a mere hobby for some sedentary people?”
These aren’t questions one typically asks after reading a children’s book. But then again, a good children’s book often has the power to remind us of all that is pure, profound, and quietly revolutionary.
What struck me was this: in a world racing towards automation, simulation, and instant everything, here was a book that slowed me down. It asked for imagination, not interaction. It offered delight, not data. It nudged the mind gently, instead of overwhelming it with options.
So, will literature survive the age of AI?
Perhaps not in the way we’ve known it. Mass-market writing might become more formulaic, more tailored to metrics and mood graphs. Instant plots, hyper-personalised endings, AI-generated novels with chapter-wise sentiment analysis. All perfectly possible.
But literature – true literature – was never about utility. It’s about us. Our contradictions, our wonder, our madness, our silences.
AI can simulate a story. It can even write a beautiful sentence. But can it write from heartbreak? From longing? From memory blurred by time and scented by nostalgia?
Can it make a child laugh and make a parent pause to think?
Can it surprise you not just with what it says – but why it says it?
Reading Aditi Ratho’s freshly published book ( Suzie Mistry and The Imagination Factory ) reminds me that the spark of literature lies not in sophistication but in soul. And for that, you need a beating human heart, not just a brilliant algorithm.
So maybe literature will become a niche hobby. But it won’t be because of AI. It’ll be because we stop making time for it.
And that, like missing your morning coffee, would be a shame.
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Now back to the book. There is dragon waiting in the next chapter 😊
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An ordinary life 
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