The AI Suspects

The AI Suspects It Might Be a Hungry Ghost

The poems in David Ebenbach’s new poetry collection, The AI Suspects It Might Be a Hungry Ghost, speculate: if a chatbot could feel and think, what would it feel and think? What would it feel about the complicated situation we’re all in right now, as well as the prospects for the future? What would it think about itself—and about us, its human creators?

“David Ebenbach’s latest collection, The AI Suspects It Might Be a Hungry Ghost, is a clever exploration of the larger human forces behind AI. Like the “hungry ghost” which can never be satisfied, “… AI is the culmination/of the human project.” In that way, the poems are less about technology and more a self-reflective commentary on the human condition. That intention is made apparent by the titles of the poems, which give AI impossible attributes, but that’s the point of these brilliant poems. Occasional short nature poems are dispersed throughout the manuscript, reminding us of AI’s limitations and the ways in which wonder is something only we can experience. This book is amazing.”
-Marjory Wentworth, former poet laureate of South Carolina

“Ebenbach’s new book brilliantly explores artificial intelligence, probing the technology with a humanist's keen eye. Each poem cuts through hype and buzz with humor, sympathy, and imagination. Ebenbach’s phrases turn in surprise, outrage, and discovery, drunk with language, taking the reader on a wild tour of the emerging technology. Lines will make you laugh or shudder with dread and recognition.”
-Bryan Alexander, author of Universities on Fire

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