Xuemo and Zhang Huaicun Discuss “Literature in the AI Era” in London

Xuemo and Zhang Huaicun Discuss “Literature in the AI Era” in London

On the afternoon of March 18, 2025, Chinese writer Xuemo and British-Chinese children’s literature author Zhang Huaicun, a lifelong fellow of the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA), engaged in a thought-provoking dialogue on “The Role of Literature in the AI Era” at London’s Piccadilly. The event was moderated by journalist Xu Liang, with Dr. Yukteshwar Kuma serving as the translator. The discussion attracted nearly a hundred attendees, including Ms. Wang Yun, Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, as well as Guy Portelli, Vice President of the RBA and a renowned sculptor, along with several British cultural celebrities.

As generative AI tools increasingly impact the literary world, people have begun to ask:

Is AI really a threat to humanity? Will AI replace human writers?

Xuemo was optimistic yet cautious, saying, “The real threat is not AI itself but the tendency of the human heart. If driven by goodwill, AI can enrich the world; if fueled by selfish desires, humanity will ruin itself. Technological advancement must go hand in hand with spiritual growth, or humans will risk losing their souls.” He was confident that while AI tools may excel in efficiency, they lack human consciousness and the ability to experience life firsthand, which are central to great literature.

Zhang echoed this sentiment, emphasizing, “AI cannot replicate genuine emotions. In other words, while machines can assemble words, they cannot breathe life into them.” She believed that great literature stands out primarily due to emotional resonance and spiritual guidance—something no algorithm, no matter how advanced, can truly achieve.

During the discussion, an audience member asked them about their sources of inspiration. Xuemo responded with a vivid metaphor: “We must break free from the confines of our little cup and merge with the vastness of the ocean-like world; then the words will flow by themselves,” he said. Zhang Huaicun, on the other hand, considered childhood curiosity and nature to be twin engines that spark her “aha” moments. She shared a childhood memory of saving a bird and explained how it shaped her storytelling.

Xuemo was then invited to sing the classic piece “Yangguan Sandie,” which was adapted from a Tang Dynasty poem. Xuemo’s performance vividly demonstrated how music, literature, and authentic human emotions surpass AI’s capabilities in touching the human soul.

Both speakers agreed that literature must serve as a guiding compass and nourishment for the soul in the age of AI. As technology continues to reshape industries, humanity must return to its core values—truth, goodness, and beauty—which have long been etched into the lullabies of human civilization: epics.

Notably, Xuemo’s Suosalang is a masterpiece that embodies these eternal values, encapsulating the primordial wisdom that humanity must seek and awaken in the AI era.

It is the best of times, and it is the worst of times. If literature can reclaim its spiritual tradition and nourish the human soul, then everything will be just as it should be.