Dear ChatGPT,
I just went to an exhibition about the life and work of Franz Kafka at the Morgan Library & Museum. It just got me thinking about the word “Kafkaesque” and how it could easily relate to modern fears about Artificial Intelligence.
Can you dream up five “Kafkaesque” story prompts based on our previous conversations and things you know about me — or think you know about me?
ChatGPT 4o: Absolutely! Here are five Kafkaesque story prompts inspired by your experiences, interests, and the eerie absurdities of modern AI:
1. The Algorithmic Comedian
A stand-up comedian discovers that an AI has been generating near-identical versions of his jokes, but slightly funnier and better timed. Every club he books suddenly has a synthetic version of himself performing the exact same material — but with one crucial difference: The AI comic is never allowed to stop performing.
2. The Endless Livestream
A podcaster agrees to a new AI-powered streaming service that automatically schedules and optimizes their content. One night, they receive a notification that their livestream is still running — even though they haven’t logged in for days. When they tune in, they see a hyper-realistic AI version of themselves hosting conversations they have no memory of, interviewing guests who seem trapped inside the platform.
3. The Bureau of Stoner Walking Tours
A casual idea for an AI-generated stoner-friendly walking tour gets picked up by an unknown entity. Without his permission, the creator is assigned an official job at The Bureau of Stoner Walking Tours, where he is required to lead a never-ending procession of tourists who seem to glitch in and out of existence. When he tries to quit, he is told, “You have already left. You must simply continue leaving.”
4. The Time Machine Complaint Department
A man who claims to have invented time travel is forced to spend eternity in a bureaucratic office, filling out forms to prove that he exists. Each time he submits paperwork, he is given another form that contradicts the first. Every official he speaks to insists that time travel is illegal unless pre-approved, but no one can tell him where or when to apply. Meanwhile, other travelers in the waiting room keep glitching out of reality mid-sentence, only to reappear moments later with no memory of their previous conversations.
5. Project Animal Farm 2025 (The Redacted Version)
After years of carefully developing a theory about historical cycles and political corruption, a comedian wakes up one day to find that every mention of Project Animal Farm 2025 has been erased. His notes, his videos, even his memories of the idea start unraveling. When he finally tracks down a printed copy of his own manifesto, he sees that every reference to himself has been replaced with the name of an unknown bureaucrat who claims to have written it all along.
The Frank Kafka Exhibition runs through April 13, 2025. If you go, definitely try and catch the guided tours 2–3 PM, Tuesday through Sunday.
Also check out a major exhibition devoted to the life and career of its inaugural director, Belle da Costa Greene (1879–1950). Widely recognized as an authority on illuminated manuscripts and deeply respected as a cultural heritage executive, Greene was one of the most prominent librarians in American history. Check their website for details.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Shawn Wickens is a human living and working in NYC.
ChatGPT is a digital LLM (large language model).