It's hard to stay human and create human work when we're surrounded by so much AI content, but then again, being human has always been hard and will always be hard, we were made from hardship and thrive in it! So it's really fitting that in order to create human work, we simply do what we have always done - endure and create.
Yes- it’s somewhat of a “blind” faith issue, for now, at least. I think that in time we will be able to observe the difference between AI vs. non-AI since w/o human input, the universe from which AI draws from is increasingly watered down.
What I fear more is a different outcome: that we’ll stop being able to tell the difference between what AI creates and what most people create. And that seems to me the more likely scenario…
I can see both outcomes, and you may be right (and I share the concern). I'm hopeful, but also not certain. I have yet to be inspired by an AI-generated essay (then again, how could I know its authorship for certain?).
Jesse, I've been sitting with your essay for a couple of days, almost in a dazed and confused state. I struggle with embracing the possibility of something better coming along while understanding it is not an AI problem but a human problem for all of the examples you mention.
Price/economics rests at the foundation. Lack of attention to the details in the make-believe-you-are-busy landscape. I struggle with integrity, of humans trying to make an ... and I think this is where I'm going ... emotional connection. Something that inspires? That is what writing instills, right? So maybe it is the form we choose, we exercise, we strengthen, we better with our individual effort.
All words and tools are suspect for me. They probably always have been but there is some self-responsibility in this conversation to learn and educate self about the truth in what is written or in video.
Integrity and emotional connection are critical pieces of this “puzzle.” The messy area I’m in now is:
- If I engage in the intellectual exercise of saying to ChatGPT: “write an essay about XYZ and make sure it comes across as having integrity and cultivates emotional connection,” it will spit out an essay that’s fine, and even “better” (perhaps more commercially appealing and “readable” for broader audience) than what I would take 9 days to write. Personally, I’m kind of OK with sticking with the 9-day journey and making a pittance. But I know most people are not.
So where does this lead? It’s a little bit like a game of chess… And since everyone has access to the LLMs, what will become our new baseline of written expression? I haven’t quite figured that one out (nor can imagine what that near future will look like for writers).
It was probably 20 years ago when I was writing small pieces for an organization and the director told me I needed to take the writing down to the 7th grade level. I was taken back by that need/requirement. But maybe, if I need to be fair and honest, the average reader has no interest in or understands Homer, does not understand environmental studies, cannot wrap their heads around memoirs with a lot of metaphor, does not understand dystopia often brings to the forefront dehumanizing characteristics, cannot write a liat of synonyms for (choose a word). So maybe that is the benefit of AI, that it brings the writing to level for the average person to grasp. But where does it put those of us that want more of the intellectual experience and practice?
I still believe that the richness of that type of writing will remain. I don’t think AI will ever be able to create some of the non-fiction experiences nor the creative stories that move us.
All the watered-down, simple stuff will persist too, just as it does now.
AI is such a multi faceted, complex issue now! You make a very interesting point about its content becoming watered down from this point forward. Personally, and from what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t put anything past its future capabilities. It may be or soon will be able to produce writing, images, etc that are actually better than what humans create.
In light of that we may need to think of the purpose of the writing. For a technical user manual that may not be bad. But if it’s writing that purports to relay an element of the human experience of life, then anything AI produces would inherently be a lie, even if it’s beautiful. That’s where the humanity of the creator is irreplaceable!
You mentioned using AI as a tool for research and learning. The temptation to do that is very strong for me. But, what are your thoughts on the ethics of using a system that is causing crippling energy/environmental demands or contributing to a system that’s basically founded on plagiarism?
For research: I think it’s too powerful of a tool to ignore. It can build spreadsheets and sift through data that would otherwise take weeks to find and build. It’s still a little superficial, but it seems to be used by almost everybody instead of google and also for busy work, like drafting cover letters, emails, etc. This is where I think it’s going to get interesting… Since everyone has access to it, all of the tasks/jobs will be easier for everyone. Where does this lead once businesses and governments catch up to this way of doing things? Entire industries will change since, for example, it makes no sense to pay someone to generate reports that AI can do for a fraction of the cost. I tend to be optimistic in where this will lead: I think the acceleration of our knowledge will lead to new technologies and places.
For the environmental impact: I’ve thought about this and tend to also be optimistic in the sense that AI will likely help humans overcome our most challenging environmental issues. So in the end, it will be a net gain.
Thank you for your thoughtful questions and feedback, Erik.
Ooo, the possibility of AI solving its own environmental issues is interesting!
I’m kind of realizing the ‘too powerful to ignore’ aspect myself. I’ve tried it out in limited form and what I’ve found is like having a subject matter expert right there that I can have a q&a session with. So, as strange as this may sound, I’ve used AI to come up with a protocol for how to potentially approach and use AI in a limited way that’s aligned with my values. I think I may refine this on my own, though.
That's the way I'm leaning too, Erik. The voice features are incredibly useful for on-the-go learning and research. For example, I'll scan a list of EMT medications with dosages etc and then tell it to quiz me with that information while I drive. I can ask clarifying questions too. Tools like this are only improving. Terrifying and empowering at the same time!
I appreciate your asking the timely question about why write if AI can do as well, Jesse. My reply is that the practice of writing has great value beyond the final concrete output/result. But you don’t have to take my word for that. Here are some thoughts about the value of writin’ by a bunch of good writers: https://bairdbrightman.substack.com/p/thinking-about-writing
It's hard to stay human and create human work when we're surrounded by so much AI content, but then again, being human has always been hard and will always be hard, we were made from hardship and thrive in it! So it's really fitting that in order to create human work, we simply do what we have always done - endure and create.
Well said, Kai. I think that’s an accurate interpretation of the timeless human struggle.
“Non-AI creation requires faith in the form we choose” – perhaps that’s the most important part. And the hardest.
Yes- it’s somewhat of a “blind” faith issue, for now, at least. I think that in time we will be able to observe the difference between AI vs. non-AI since w/o human input, the universe from which AI draws from is increasingly watered down.
What I fear more is a different outcome: that we’ll stop being able to tell the difference between what AI creates and what most people create. And that seems to me the more likely scenario…
I can see both outcomes, and you may be right (and I share the concern). I'm hopeful, but also not certain. I have yet to be inspired by an AI-generated essay (then again, how could I know its authorship for certain?).
Jesse, I've been sitting with your essay for a couple of days, almost in a dazed and confused state. I struggle with embracing the possibility of something better coming along while understanding it is not an AI problem but a human problem for all of the examples you mention.
Price/economics rests at the foundation. Lack of attention to the details in the make-believe-you-are-busy landscape. I struggle with integrity, of humans trying to make an ... and I think this is where I'm going ... emotional connection. Something that inspires? That is what writing instills, right? So maybe it is the form we choose, we exercise, we strengthen, we better with our individual effort.
All words and tools are suspect for me. They probably always have been but there is some self-responsibility in this conversation to learn and educate self about the truth in what is written or in video.
Integrity and emotional connection are critical pieces of this “puzzle.” The messy area I’m in now is:
- If I engage in the intellectual exercise of saying to ChatGPT: “write an essay about XYZ and make sure it comes across as having integrity and cultivates emotional connection,” it will spit out an essay that’s fine, and even “better” (perhaps more commercially appealing and “readable” for broader audience) than what I would take 9 days to write. Personally, I’m kind of OK with sticking with the 9-day journey and making a pittance. But I know most people are not.
So where does this lead? It’s a little bit like a game of chess… And since everyone has access to the LLMs, what will become our new baseline of written expression? I haven’t quite figured that one out (nor can imagine what that near future will look like for writers).
It was probably 20 years ago when I was writing small pieces for an organization and the director told me I needed to take the writing down to the 7th grade level. I was taken back by that need/requirement. But maybe, if I need to be fair and honest, the average reader has no interest in or understands Homer, does not understand environmental studies, cannot wrap their heads around memoirs with a lot of metaphor, does not understand dystopia often brings to the forefront dehumanizing characteristics, cannot write a liat of synonyms for (choose a word). So maybe that is the benefit of AI, that it brings the writing to level for the average person to grasp. But where does it put those of us that want more of the intellectual experience and practice?
I still believe that the richness of that type of writing will remain. I don’t think AI will ever be able to create some of the non-fiction experiences nor the creative stories that move us.
All the watered-down, simple stuff will persist too, just as it does now.
Completely agree. Those who want the more immersive words and an emotional connection will have to look harder. I can live with that responsibility.
AI is such a multi faceted, complex issue now! You make a very interesting point about its content becoming watered down from this point forward. Personally, and from what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t put anything past its future capabilities. It may be or soon will be able to produce writing, images, etc that are actually better than what humans create.
In light of that we may need to think of the purpose of the writing. For a technical user manual that may not be bad. But if it’s writing that purports to relay an element of the human experience of life, then anything AI produces would inherently be a lie, even if it’s beautiful. That’s where the humanity of the creator is irreplaceable!
You mentioned using AI as a tool for research and learning. The temptation to do that is very strong for me. But, what are your thoughts on the ethics of using a system that is causing crippling energy/environmental demands or contributing to a system that’s basically founded on plagiarism?
For research: I think it’s too powerful of a tool to ignore. It can build spreadsheets and sift through data that would otherwise take weeks to find and build. It’s still a little superficial, but it seems to be used by almost everybody instead of google and also for busy work, like drafting cover letters, emails, etc. This is where I think it’s going to get interesting… Since everyone has access to it, all of the tasks/jobs will be easier for everyone. Where does this lead once businesses and governments catch up to this way of doing things? Entire industries will change since, for example, it makes no sense to pay someone to generate reports that AI can do for a fraction of the cost. I tend to be optimistic in where this will lead: I think the acceleration of our knowledge will lead to new technologies and places.
For the environmental impact: I’ve thought about this and tend to also be optimistic in the sense that AI will likely help humans overcome our most challenging environmental issues. So in the end, it will be a net gain.
Thank you for your thoughtful questions and feedback, Erik.
Ooo, the possibility of AI solving its own environmental issues is interesting!
I’m kind of realizing the ‘too powerful to ignore’ aspect myself. I’ve tried it out in limited form and what I’ve found is like having a subject matter expert right there that I can have a q&a session with. So, as strange as this may sound, I’ve used AI to come up with a protocol for how to potentially approach and use AI in a limited way that’s aligned with my values. I think I may refine this on my own, though.
Wherever this all leads, it’s wild times!
That's the way I'm leaning too, Erik. The voice features are incredibly useful for on-the-go learning and research. For example, I'll scan a list of EMT medications with dosages etc and then tell it to quiz me with that information while I drive. I can ask clarifying questions too. Tools like this are only improving. Terrifying and empowering at the same time!
I appreciate your asking the timely question about why write if AI can do as well, Jesse. My reply is that the practice of writing has great value beyond the final concrete output/result. But you don’t have to take my word for that. Here are some thoughts about the value of writin’ by a bunch of good writers: https://bairdbrightman.substack.com/p/thinking-about-writing
Thanks, Baird. There are some great ones in there. I enjoyed re-reading it—inspiring. Writing has always been a challenge!