avatarMazlan Abbas 🔅

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The Sins of Writing Using AI (ChatGPT) — Can You Forgive Me?

There are times I get the help of AI. Is that a big problem?

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I was sitting in front of my computer screen, scrolling through yet another article post, hammering in the point that using AI or ChatGPT for our writing is a big no-no.

The frustration was real.

My mind was swirling with thoughts, “Really? Not even a little help?

It felt like being handed a paintbrush but told not to use any colors.

Here’s the deal — I get it, okay?

The idea of just tossing a simple prompt into the AI abyss and letting it spit out a full-blown article or book without a second thought doesn’t sit right with me either.

That’s not creativity; that’s just being lazy.

But here’s where my frustration bubbles up like a volcano on the verge of eruption: English isn’t my first language. Getting those perfect, grammatically flawless sentences down?

It’s like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded.

Hours, I tell you, hours spent wrestling with a 500 or 1000-word article, trying to make it sound just right.

And it’s not just about grammar.

Conveying what I want to say, filling my articles with the right emotions, the nuances, the color — it’s daunting.

So, here’s the forbidden thought: what if I draft my thoughts, outline my content, and then, just then, let AI or ChatGPT fine-tune it?

Is that really so wrong? A sin, even?

But what if the article turns out better? What if it actually gets read, appreciated, or — dare I say — earns something on Medium? Wouldn’t that be a good thing?

The thing is, some of my articles that had a touch of AI assistance received good responses and even earned a bit. Meanwhile, the ones I slaved over, pouring my heart and soul into every word without any AI help, barely made a ripple.

It’s enough to make you wonder, isn’t it?

Why is it that the ones I work hardest on, the ones I pour my everything into, just… flop?” I’d ask myself, staring at the screen, waiting for an answer that never comes.

And yet, there’s this lingering fear — what if a Medium publication outright rejects my work because it got a helping hand from AI?

Even if I’m the one steering the ship, drafting the content, and ensuring it reflects my voice, my ideas?

So here’s the confession, the moment of truth at the end of this tale of frustration and inner turmoil: this article, the very one you’re reading now, had a bit of help from ChatGPT.

Yeah, I said it.

With its assistance, I managed to shape my thoughts, polish my words, and hopefully, make this piece engaging and coherent.

Can you forgive me?

In a world where the line between human and machine creativity is becoming ever so blurred, maybe it’s not about who writes the article but the story it tells, the emotions it evokes, and the impact it has.

If using AI means breaking down language barriers and bringing our stories to life in ways we never could on our own, perhaps it’s not such a sin after all.

AI
ChatGPT
Writing
Artificial Intelligence
Self Improvement
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