The debate about AI continues to rampage through every social media feed I flip through. I am not terribly active on social media as a content provider, the frequent changing of the guard insofar as which is the place to be has left me a bit jaded, but I do flip through them to keep abreast of the wider conversations regarding publishing and books in general.
That said, I did recently touch on this subject in a previous post so my followers are likely to recognize my stance since it hasn’t really changed.
First, understand that I refuse to judge or browbeat anyone. I have my personal opinions, but at the end of the day they are precisely that: personal opinions formed by my experiences. I am old enough to know that my viewpoint is not the only one in the world, and I remain open and willing to learn from those whose experiences differ from my own.
With that said, here is why I will not use AI in writing.
Writing is a craft. It is meant to be difficult. The beauty of writing comes in the struggle to put words on the page. That’s where the artform is – in the struggle. If you are permitting an algorithm to create your work for you, be it in outline form or general idea form or any other aspect of the writing craft, then you are no longer creating art.
You must live in the struggle.
I know it’s hard. It’s supposed to be.
The struggle is where we improve. Refine those ideas. Reflect on what it means to be human. Dig for truths on the page that you want the rest of the world to see.
I suppose it comes down to this…
Either you want to be a writer, or you don’t.
If you do, then don’t cheat yourself. The true author knows how hard it is to get words on the page, or come up with a brilliant plot twist. The difference is that they know the magic is in the struggle and nowhere else.
If you don’t want to be a writer, then please don’t insult the craft by trying to find a workaround. Cutting corners will only harm the bottom line for everyone.
See what my fellow authors have to say about AI!
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