Photographer Cadeyrn Smith will publish his first children’s book
Up and coming local photographer, Cadeyrn Smith, has created his own book with the support of AI technology.
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Young local photographer and storyteller Cadeyrn Smith of Murray Bridge is about to publish his first children’s book.
Smiley’s Steam Train Dream is a whimsical journey down the historic rail line from Monarto South to Sedan in South Australia, told through the eyes of a cheeky little character named Smiley.
The book features photos of historic rail bridges, and drawings of puffing steam
trains as they once supported the communities along the line.
All the drone images were taken by Mr Smith with the help of Glenn Power, his
Genuine Support Services Australia (GSSA) support worker.
“I’m very happy with how the bridge images can out, they really captured the sweeping empty country around the bridges,” Mr Smith said.
Cadeyrn Smith with Glenn Power and the character Smiley, who was created with the help of AI. Photos: Glenn Power.
The story came to life with the assistance of Chat GPT, an AI tool Mr Smith used to
help shape the narrative, smooth out the words, and stitch his adventure together.
Chat GPT is a language model chatbot developed by Open AI that uses natural language processing to generate human-like conversational responses.
It can be used for various tasks, including answering questions, composing different written content, and engaging in conversations.
The story was about steam and dreams, said a beaming Mr Smith.
“The young Smiley imagines a world where every train and station has a secret, and every whistle tells a story,” he said.
The project is an example of how AI, when used responsibly and
transparently, can empower emerging creatives – especially those who may face barriers to traditional publishing.
Tools like Chat GPT helped Mr Smith turn his ideas into a polished product, allowing more time for creativity and collaboration.
Of course, concerns about AI in publishing remain, particularly around originality and disclosure; but Mr Smith and his team are upfront about how the tech was used: as a support, not a substitute.
“AI can be a brilliant tool if managed well,” Mr Power said.
“It helped Caderyn tell his story, in his voice.”
The book will be available at GSSA’s Ability Cafe soon and at selected community
events this autumn.
The Ability Café, a café with a cause, is open Fridays from 11.30am to 2pm at the GSSA’s Community Hub and Activities Centre at 5-6 Seventh Street, Murray Bridge.
