avatarLeonard Tillerman

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What’s Wrong With Using AI To Write?

Just ask my grandpa!

Photo by Aaron Andrew Ang on Unsplash

Are you a writer who sees nothing wrong with using Artificial Intelligence to generate content?

Perhaps wondering what all the fuss is about.

You see it as just another tool in the toolbox that lets us produce content for our reading audience. They are always thirsty for new stories, and you bring that to them.

Mission accomplished!

How you manage to complete that quest does not really matter in the end, you tell yourself.

I would have to strongly disagree!

Have you ever carefully considered why it is that people read your stories in the first place? It certainly isn’t to find the same top ten regurgitated tips that they can find anywhere on the Internet. Why on earth would they waste their precious time on that?

No, people read your work because they want to feel something. They are seeking some type of connection with another actual human being.

Perhaps they are experiencing major stress or heartache in their lives. Your writing may very well be that flicker of light they so desperately need. Hope that maybe things will get better.

How do you think they would feel if they knew that hope was being provided by a robot?

Duped and cheated are two words that come instantly to mind.

There is nothing real or authentic about utilizing artificial intelligence to create our work. Anybody can put subjects into a program that will spit back a story.

How is that genuine and authentic writing?

I will often hear the argument:

We just use it to generate ideas or for research. We don’t actually use AI to write the whole story.

Fair enough. I hear what they are saying. It is another tool that can be used to make the writing process more efficient and rewarding for the writer.

I get it!

I’m just not buying it.

I believe the entire writing process has to be generated by our own minds.

Every single part of it.

That includes brainstorming ideas, prewriting, drafting, and editing. By relying on AI to do any of this, we are relegating our human role to a machine. The end result is that a computer does all of our thinking for us.

Meanwhile, our brain takes a rest and gradually begins to forget how to actually write.

This is a very big deal! Our writing only gets better by pounding upon our craft. If you want to become a great writer, you need to read and write. A lot!

By letting AI do all of this for you, that ability slowly begins to dissipate.

As bad as that may be, using AI does something far worse to your writing.

It removes its soul.

Personally, I find writing to be a healing and spiritual journey. One that I invite the reader to take with me. If I let a computer take over any part of this, I will have lost my unique voice. The soul of my writing will be extinguished and unlikely to ever be ignited again.

The reason and motivation to write would be lost.

Don’t listen to me, however. I think my grandfather said it better than I ever could. He was a great writer and the only source of stability and comfort I had in my troubled childhood. His words meant a lot to me and they still do today.

I always write according to the guidance he gave to a curious young 6-year-old while he rocked in his rickety chair over 50 years ago.

“Write what you feel, Leonard, he would say.

You have to be real if you want to connect with people.”

Although he is long gone now, his words will always live on in the back of my mind.

The next time you are asked what is wrong with using AI to write your stories, just recall what my grandpa said.

Maybe you too will hear his whispering voice in the background.

Just be real.

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