HI | HUMAN INTELLIGENCE | SUPPORT OF HUMAN WRITERS NOT AI
Call to Action For Writers Who Write From Your Heart, Your Soul, and With Your Voice
Human writers are needed to continue shouting from rooftops to protect themselves and income if using this platform as a source of revenue
Introduction
Some who read my stories regularly may be saying, “Enough already, Kjos.
We’ve read a plethora of pieces of similar content about Artificial Intelligence/AI and Human Intelligence/HI.”
Why do I keep writing them?
Because most of us understand little about the mysteries of the Medium algorithm. What is clear, however, is that the most recently published stories receive greater wider distribution. Ergo, earlier pieces are buried or less likely to be read.
New readers and writers
Why does this matter?
Again, the statistics aren’t published, but it’s believed thousands of readers come onto the platform daily. A substantial number are either 1) first-timers who’ve not visited Medium before, or 2) readers who pop in from time to time but don’t hang around the site for extended periods, day in and day out.
These folks are fresh unsuspecting red meat for AI writers.
By “AI writers,” I am referring to those who claim to be writers when in reality they’re merely computer researchers. Or, as others have characterized them — faux writers, charlatans, cheaters, or scammers.
They feed ChatGPT or other AI progeny a question or a prompt. Then ChatGPT kindly writes a reply, answer, or article for the questioner. With a change here and there, and possibly running it through Grammarly, voila, the story is ready for publication by this pretend writer.
Artificial intelligence (AI): ChatGPT and similar technology
Had anyone mentioned ChatGPT in early 2023, my response would have been, “Is that a new dating site?” Yes, I’m both a dinosaur and a non-techie. I know very little about the actual creature and never will. I shall never either use or download it.
Nevertheless, I understand the basics, which further supports its utter lack of appeal for me.
ChatGPT, which exploded in 2023, is one of the newest, hottest forms of ‘artificial intelligence’ or what seasoned professional writer and journalist Gabriel Piemonte prefers to call ‘machine learning.’
He writes:
A note regarding AI: I do not believe that information possessed by technology becomes knowledge, and I do not believe that intelligence can exist without knowledge. Consequently, I prefer “machine learning” to artificial intelligence, which I believe advances a fiction that machines can become knowledgeable — and, by extension, conceivably conscious.
Gazillions of dollars have been invested by Microsoft, Google, and all the major players. Indeed, AI is exciting and holds promise in many avenues, especially medicine and technology. We’ve all dealt with AI in some form for years, such as those automated bot services when calling our bank, utility company, or doctor’s office.
AI and Medium
Regarding writers and artists, however, AI isn’t so exciting.
What is particularly disconcerting on this site is that it’s proliferation of AI-content. Despite Medium’s policy requiring use of AI to be disclosed at the beginning of stories, few writers do. And, it certainly seems that the policy is largely unenforced.
Ergo, many “writers,” perhaps more aptly described as adept copiers and pasters, regurgitate the AI ‘content’ generated from Mr. ChatGPT or other spawn. The pablum can be assembled in minutes, then voila, “publish” is clicked, and within minutes, another story is published. Some are publishing 5, 6, or as many as 13 stories daily.
Why should we care?
Because thousands of real writers write how we were all taught in school. We think, we put thoughts on paper (or via keyboards), and we express feelings, experiences, observations, research, or understandings.
This platform is being inundated with AI. And those using it are becoming more adept at camouflaging its use.
Unsuspecting readers — because they’ve not yet read sufficient amounts of it — respond, comment, highlight, and clap. This computer-generated dreck is taking money away from those who toil seriously and diligently to produce their own work.
Here’s how professional writer Jay Vaananen explains the scam in his recent article. AI writers produce more to enhance the metrics of the algorithm.
I’m not saying don’t use AI, if you want to use it, if you feel it helps you, then by all means, have at it, but please do disclose that you used AI to produce your content.
Once you realize that what you’re reading is AI fluff, stop interacting with these AI publishing “writers.” They are charlatans. Even better, block them. The more you clap on their articles, write “thanks for sharing” or support them, the more the Medium algorithm will promote them, dumping more of that junk on my front yard and your front yard.
The problem is that Medium promotes active posting. The thinking behind this is good: if you post regularly, then you will gain regular readers and regular readers spend time on the platform and will pay to use the platform.
Call to action
Ideally, fifty people or more would be writing stories weekly and publishing in myriad publications (pubs). There are more than 13,000 pubs. There are millions of readers monthly on the site.
The vast majority will only see these kinds of stories and explanations if more of us keep scribbling. We should consider ourselves educators about HI v. AI, how to spot it, and how not to support it.
Won’t you join the Human Intelligence “HI” movement? Support serious, dedicated creators/writers who craft real stories with their hearts and souls?
Write more stories yourself about the AI explosion to alert the rookies and the rest of us. Many seasoned Medium writers are regularly duped.
Background
The following articles explain the genesis and continuation of the HI movement.
In the first article is a list of 300 writers, which is regularly updated. These are committed to not using AI. Please support them.
DR Rawson - The Possibilist is the formidable leader perpetuating the expansion of the Human Writers group and Human Intelligence Movement. This article and his subsequent ones are published on Dancing Elephants Press, which provides updates.
Other writers’ articles
For further edification, these excellent articles assist in spotting AI and blocking it.
From Momentum, here are some tips for spotting AI content:
Navigating the landscape
A comprehensive guide
Unveiling the power of…
Let’s dive in…
A deep dive
Decoding
Unleashing
Leveraging
Unfiltered
Exposed… which I think is a pretty fitting word to end the list on
From writer CarolF:
Excellent advice from Carol:
Our system’s ability to filter out AI-generated content is primarily based on content quality, so if you see content that you suspect is AI-generated, or any low quality content, be sure to take actions on it via blocking, muting, or “Show less like this.” That teaches the algorithm.
If you mute or block a writer, then the algorithm assumes that their content doesn’t have value. The same thing applies when you hit the ‘show less like this’ button.
The algorithm uses these prompts to help it set site visibility. It promotes good content and demotes bad content.
Your time is valuable! I’m honored that you spent some of it here. Victoria 🙏😎
© Victoria Kjos. All Rights Reserved. 2024.
