Lots to think about here, Dan. I appreciate you tackling this thorny topic. You always have such good insights. In your line of work, you have to explore AI. For now, other than basic tools writers have been using for years (e.g., spell and grammar checks), I'm staying away from AI. I may change my mind. I will change my mind. We can't stop technological innovation from permeating our lives. It's just a matter of time before we're all completely dependent on AI. But I like being the creator. I like seeing what I can do. It's arduous, and I may never be as proficient or as productive as AI, but I want my creative work to come from me. That's an old school thought, I know, and I am retired, so I can get away with refusing to acknowledge various realities, AI being one of them. I think of it this way: do I want a novel with my name on it, or do I want to write a novel? Do I want a painting, or do I want to paint? Do I want to sing, or do I want a recording that bears my name? I fear younger generations will never understand these kinds of existential questions.
I'm with you, N.J.! Technology is "herding" our consciousness. Most are blind to this. I'd rather be less productive or proficient (which I already am :D) and still have more of my own mind than is already greatly influenced by AI.
Hi Dan, I’ve been following you for quite some time now and I’m very disappointed to read your implementation of AI. The ethical concerns of AI aren’t just that they’re trained using creatives’ work without their consent or that AI will take away the very human essence of creativity, AI is directly impacting our environment, accelerating climate change (ChatGPT uses 10x the amount of water as a Google search!), and the foundation of AI rests on racism. Sydney Nicole Sweeney recently wrote an article about this that’s worth checking out if you want to read more: https://sydneynsweeney.medium.com/dump-chatgpt-the-anti-ai-guide-to-professional-writing-79d2d2bfa50e
I know it can be tempting to play with this new technology to stay ahead of the curve, but I really hope that you consider the negative ethical impacts that AI is creating, even in the ways that you’ve listed using it in this newsletter.
Thank you. I have used AI a few times and found it helpful. I used it to help me write a speaker's bio based on my about page for a specific group. However, I find the speed a bit unsettling; the word that comes to mind is "sinister." I appreciate your perspective and caution, and I'm now considering using a typewriter instead.
Another advantage of typewriters is that they aren't taking your words for their AI as you write them! A publication I write for regularly has a new AI policy and requires us to check a box for each piece to confirm that we haven't used AI to write it. I wonder about using AI even to write short summaries, because I think as writers we improve our craft even from doing mundane things like that. If AI tells us which words to use instead, everything will become bland! I have also run into the issue of people citing scientific articles at me that simply don't exist because an AI made them up.
Dan, This is a great post. I've been playing with AI and have found it useful, but I do see how it could make me lazy. It has it's place, but we need to keep it in line. I recently had a conversation with it about one of my ancestors. It told me my research was wrong. It didn't understand all of the info I had so it was jumping to conclusions. That was the first time I've encountered AI arguing with me. I also spent several hours last week with AI help on my wordpress website. They gave me all these suggestions which I followed but didn't work. I finally told them I wanted a human! Comes to find out, the human couldn't figure out what had caused the problems on my website!! Anyway, great post today.
The danger is AI does things no ethical writer would do, including plagiarizing. AI can't write anything original, it can only aggregate. That's why any result is loaded with concepts and even exact phrases stolen from real people.
I appreciate your take on AI. Everyone has to make their own choices about it, but I have no intention of ever using it. There is a reason art and music and literature are called the humanities. If a machine makes these things we should call it something else. And there is no such thing as ethical AI. With environmental damage and stealing from artists it is hard to justify its use for me. But I’m glad people are talking about it.
Dan, I finally took the plunge and tested out AI for my writing for the first time. I just completed edits on my novel, Electromagnetic Assault, and wanted to write more engaging back cover content. While I have no interest in using AI writing for my novel, I'm open for the marketing aspects. I created a free account for Chat GPT, fed it my current back cover copy, and asked for multiple versions. It was seductive how fast AI can come back with ideas. It's also interesting to see how different the versions were depending on the prompts I gave and the questions AI asked me. For example a cinematic version and a Techno-thriller book version.
I did use some of what AI came back with but none of the versions were anywhere close to useful in and of themselves. I took ideas and wording from several versions and molded them into the original. AI prompts are huge in the responses back. Also, as I fed it more information about the book it came back with different versions incorporating this new knowledge. In some cases this was helpful, though in other cases it provided information I didn't want included on the back cover copy.
My takeaway is that AI is useful for marketing aspects and I could see how it would also be helpful for social media. The trick is to use it as another tool vs. fully automating the entire task and using whatever comes out. I'm slowly moving from hardcore Luddite on AI to a tentative AI user.
Thanks for bringing up this topic and sharing how you're using it with your clients.
Thanks Bruce. Now imagine that it remembers your preferences for back cover copy on this book when you ask it to do the next book. Then the next. And over a short period of time, it memorizes your likes and dislikes to where the first thing it gives you back increasingly becomes more of what you want.
Love this, Dan! And 100% agree. The danger is sameness and losing what makes us unique. It just occurred to me yesterday after doing a podcast interview, soon you will be able to tell me from AI because of how clunky my writing is in comparison 😂 It’s just so smooth, it’s hypnotic. And the validation piece is real, and insidious. But shhhh, it could be listening 🤫
I found this use for 'AI' for fiction writers that I'm fine with - and have the source material to (MY READER REVIEWS on Amazon) - because, if you read you will see, it has no way of forming an opinion, so it gets things oddly wrong:
Anyone who uses 'AI' content without verifying practically every word is, in my opinion, playing with fire. Unfortunately, many people don't care and never bother, and just say, "Oh, well" if you happen to point out the LIES, misinformation, and fever dreams (ie, hallucinations) of an overheated bit somewhere.
When Henry Ford got together with Mr. Firestone, they invented a new way to get from point A to B. Horse owners and sellers were in an uproar. “It’ll never work.” “Stay away.” Imagine if they had. In that same way, everyone needs to learn how to use AI as a tool— not to BE the creator. Write first. Draw first. Create. And then let AI propose things that might actually make your creations better— or not.
Lots to think about here, Dan. I appreciate you tackling this thorny topic. You always have such good insights. In your line of work, you have to explore AI. For now, other than basic tools writers have been using for years (e.g., spell and grammar checks), I'm staying away from AI. I may change my mind. I will change my mind. We can't stop technological innovation from permeating our lives. It's just a matter of time before we're all completely dependent on AI. But I like being the creator. I like seeing what I can do. It's arduous, and I may never be as proficient or as productive as AI, but I want my creative work to come from me. That's an old school thought, I know, and I am retired, so I can get away with refusing to acknowledge various realities, AI being one of them. I think of it this way: do I want a novel with my name on it, or do I want to write a novel? Do I want a painting, or do I want to paint? Do I want to sing, or do I want a recording that bears my name? I fear younger generations will never understand these kinds of existential questions.
Great questions, thank you Nancy!
I'm with you, N.J.! Technology is "herding" our consciousness. Most are blind to this. I'd rather be less productive or proficient (which I already am :D) and still have more of my own mind than is already greatly influenced by AI.
Hi Dan, I’ve been following you for quite some time now and I’m very disappointed to read your implementation of AI. The ethical concerns of AI aren’t just that they’re trained using creatives’ work without their consent or that AI will take away the very human essence of creativity, AI is directly impacting our environment, accelerating climate change (ChatGPT uses 10x the amount of water as a Google search!), and the foundation of AI rests on racism. Sydney Nicole Sweeney recently wrote an article about this that’s worth checking out if you want to read more: https://sydneynsweeney.medium.com/dump-chatgpt-the-anti-ai-guide-to-professional-writing-79d2d2bfa50e
I know it can be tempting to play with this new technology to stay ahead of the curve, but I really hope that you consider the negative ethical impacts that AI is creating, even in the ways that you’ve listed using it in this newsletter.
Thanks Shelby! I'll take a look.
Thank you. I have used AI a few times and found it helpful. I used it to help me write a speaker's bio based on my about page for a specific group. However, I find the speed a bit unsettling; the word that comes to mind is "sinister." I appreciate your perspective and caution, and I'm now considering using a typewriter instead.
Thank you Sandy!
Another advantage of typewriters is that they aren't taking your words for their AI as you write them! A publication I write for regularly has a new AI policy and requires us to check a box for each piece to confirm that we haven't used AI to write it. I wonder about using AI even to write short summaries, because I think as writers we improve our craft even from doing mundane things like that. If AI tells us which words to use instead, everything will become bland! I have also run into the issue of people citing scientific articles at me that simply don't exist because an AI made them up.
Fascinating! Thanks Zazie!
Love the richness of your analysis. It's such a confusing time to be a writer and not to mention a writing teacher!
Aw, thanks Alexandra! Indeed!
Dan, This is a great post. I've been playing with AI and have found it useful, but I do see how it could make me lazy. It has it's place, but we need to keep it in line. I recently had a conversation with it about one of my ancestors. It told me my research was wrong. It didn't understand all of the info I had so it was jumping to conclusions. That was the first time I've encountered AI arguing with me. I also spent several hours last week with AI help on my wordpress website. They gave me all these suggestions which I followed but didn't work. I finally told them I wanted a human! Comes to find out, the human couldn't figure out what had caused the problems on my website!! Anyway, great post today.
Fascinating! Thanks Lynda.
The danger is AI does things no ethical writer would do, including plagiarizing. AI can't write anything original, it can only aggregate. That's why any result is loaded with concepts and even exact phrases stolen from real people.
Very helpful discussion. Thank you.
Thanks Martha!
This was a terrific and very helpful post, Dan. Yes, count me in for your workshop...
Thanks Beth!
I appreciate your take on AI. Everyone has to make their own choices about it, but I have no intention of ever using it. There is a reason art and music and literature are called the humanities. If a machine makes these things we should call it something else. And there is no such thing as ethical AI. With environmental damage and stealing from artists it is hard to justify its use for me. But I’m glad people are talking about it.
Thanks Cat!
Great handling of such a complex and timely topic. Absolutely interested in a workshop!
Thanks Maria!
Whew that was a lot to digest. I appreciate your perspective though. It really drives home the point that authenticity matters. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!
You're welcome!
Dan, I finally took the plunge and tested out AI for my writing for the first time. I just completed edits on my novel, Electromagnetic Assault, and wanted to write more engaging back cover content. While I have no interest in using AI writing for my novel, I'm open for the marketing aspects. I created a free account for Chat GPT, fed it my current back cover copy, and asked for multiple versions. It was seductive how fast AI can come back with ideas. It's also interesting to see how different the versions were depending on the prompts I gave and the questions AI asked me. For example a cinematic version and a Techno-thriller book version.
I did use some of what AI came back with but none of the versions were anywhere close to useful in and of themselves. I took ideas and wording from several versions and molded them into the original. AI prompts are huge in the responses back. Also, as I fed it more information about the book it came back with different versions incorporating this new knowledge. In some cases this was helpful, though in other cases it provided information I didn't want included on the back cover copy.
My takeaway is that AI is useful for marketing aspects and I could see how it would also be helpful for social media. The trick is to use it as another tool vs. fully automating the entire task and using whatever comes out. I'm slowly moving from hardcore Luddite on AI to a tentative AI user.
Thanks for bringing up this topic and sharing how you're using it with your clients.
Thanks Bruce. Now imagine that it remembers your preferences for back cover copy on this book when you ask it to do the next book. Then the next. And over a short period of time, it memorizes your likes and dislikes to where the first thing it gives you back increasingly becomes more of what you want.
The dream and the invasive nightmare!
Love this, Dan! And 100% agree. The danger is sameness and losing what makes us unique. It just occurred to me yesterday after doing a podcast interview, soon you will be able to tell me from AI because of how clunky my writing is in comparison 😂 It’s just so smooth, it’s hypnotic. And the validation piece is real, and insidious. But shhhh, it could be listening 🤫
Ha! Indeed. Thank you Cat!
I found this use for 'AI' for fiction writers that I'm fine with - and have the source material to (MY READER REVIEWS on Amazon) - because, if you read you will see, it has no way of forming an opinion, so it gets things oddly wrong:
https://liebjabberings.wordpress.com/2025/02/26/a-legitimate-ai-use-for-fiction-writers/
Anyone who uses 'AI' content without verifying practically every word is, in my opinion, playing with fire. Unfortunately, many people don't care and never bother, and just say, "Oh, well" if you happen to point out the LIES, misinformation, and fever dreams (ie, hallucinations) of an overheated bit somewhere.
Thank you Alicia!
When Henry Ford got together with Mr. Firestone, they invented a new way to get from point A to B. Horse owners and sellers were in an uproar. “It’ll never work.” “Stay away.” Imagine if they had. In that same way, everyone needs to learn how to use AI as a tool— not to BE the creator. Write first. Draw first. Create. And then let AI propose things that might actually make your creations better— or not.
Thanks Karen!