What bothers me too are the “suspicions” and accusations. I don’t want to have to wonder who wrote something or worry about my own work being questioned. What bugs me maybe even more is that I am absorbing the tone and style of artificially generated content and have unintentionally started to mimic. I am now reading “old” literature intentionally to re scramble my way of loving and using language…
Suspicions must be proven. I stop reading and commenting when I compare previous pieces with recent pieces.
English is not my first language and I analyze everything I read. I've also been a journalist for many years. That means my radar kicks in when I spot discrepansies. We can't make allegations, but we can take the time to compare different pieces.
I never let AI learn from my writing. I made sure I clicked no. I thought I'd be able to tell, and in some ways I think it's in the flatness of a piece.
I love old English words and they are part of my vocabulary in the every day. Maybe it's all those years in church before that language was transformed.
I feel for those though that are accused inaccurately. I'm thankful I have over 30years of material as proof of my voice.
Even on the tube (TV) I can see programs and commercials are using AI. The stagnant or repetitive movements, inconsistent way the body moves or going through a solid object. Minute errors that catch the eye. They can mimic emotions but there's not the connection of spirit I sense.
I share your struggle, Rea. We are losing "voice" in AI. Because I have a couple of books and a good bit of content floating around, I asked AI to write a short essay about the joys of hiking, using the writing style of one Stephen Drew. In about 10 seconds, out came 300 words that at first blush were just delightful, but soul stripped. All it could do was pirate language, but had no concept of voice. That's the point I would fear, because it would imply sentience.
As for its use by artists, that would be a matter of conscience, but I hear you...adds the task of determining veracity to the process of consuming art.
Rea, I think you’ve described something very real.
Readers eventually become familiar with a writer’s voice.
Not just the style, but that subtle human trace between the lines.And when that voice suddenly changes, it doesn’t create anger as much as it creates a quiet feeling that something from the encounter has disappeared.Because good writing isn’t just text.It’s the presence of a human being on the other side.
AI takes the humanity and soul out of writing. I don't mind when people use AI to spell and grammar check. For myself? I'd rather see a typo go through to be published (!) than take the soul out of my story. Thank you for this. Love, V.
This is a concern of mine also. I've never used AI to write anything. I prefer my own "voice" and not something that sounds artificial or "pat". My husband and I have noticed AI creep into recent articles in our local newspaper. An acquaintance of ours who is a reporter for the newspaper was at first mediocre in her written newspaper articles. She would constantly make typing errors and grammatical errors. Over the last few months, none of that occurs. No mistakes, but her articles now read stilted.
This is such an important essay. I used to be an English professor before AI was a thing, and I could easily spot if a student's writing style changed. The culprit was often a copy and paste of text from the Internet. Now, even though I'm no longer teaching, I hear from other educators about how AI is really a problem in students' work.
I believe that AI takes the humanity out of written work. Yes, the language might be stellar, but there is no heart. Like you, I'm an avid reader and am sensitive to a writer's style. Unfortunately, so many people are not readers, so they might not be able to tell the difference between AI and the real written work.
Thank you for addressing this issue. It's an important one.
Thank you for giving us a look from the educators' side of view. You made an important point. Our children will lose the ability to think for themselves! Can you imagine what will become of the written human word? It terrifies me, Beth.
I tried it for a short time, but I saw exactly what you’re saying. I thought it was all about efficiency and putting more stuff out there to attract more people. But I decided I’d rather just put out one good piece of work a week, that comes directly from my heart. And one person finding me that Way would be worth a thousand brought in through psychological manipulation.
It is scary. But when you think about it, that’s really what it does. That's what capitalism requires. When we say things like — craft the perfect headline, create an unfailing hook, That’s what we are really talking about. You’ve watched Mad Men, right?
AI cannot summon the passion of the writer's work. When it is all the same you know it is fabricated, enhanced, wiped clean. I look for what is edgy, human, imprecise. I grieve the reign of AI. It kills the creative spirit. It is monotonous and one dimensional. I hope I can distinguish the living word from the digested word.
This is uncomfortable because it’s true, but I’m not sure the line is as clear as we think.
Is it really about AI, or about the rupture of trust when the “voice” no longer feels anchored in a person?
Because writers have always borrowed, edited, been influenced, even transformed over time. But something about AI feels different, almost like the disappearance of friction.
Maybe the real question is: do we read for the words themselves, or for the presence of someone behind them?
oh snap. i have the same sentiments here. i realized that in the beginning of my substack journey i subscribed to many whom i no longer read, and slowly developed a cluster of readers that i love, including you. i’m wondering if you unsubscribed from my publication because you think my voice changed. i don’t use artificial intelligence at all. not even for imagery. especially. i can tell you though, i’m evolving as a word curator (i have a hard time calling myself a writer, i have no credentials) as i surround myself with writers that i admire. i’m certainly growing as a human who loves to write poetry, and since i’ve started reading more here, my worldview as an artist had improved drastically.
Thanks, Rea. It's disturbing to see so many AI fabricated stories being shared (especially on places like Facebook). I've been keeping my practice of writing by hand and old-school typewriter in addition to using my laptop, but have no interest in using AI for the creative process. I hope we will remember our humanity
The first time I submitted work for publication and had to sign a statement that "AI was not involved in any way" it really shocked me. Now, just a year or two later, I can see why it is essential and also increasingly hard to police.
Just yesterday Google Gemini started providing a summary of my incoming emails, including a summary of my ongoing email conversation with a friend. I found that deeply disturbing. I have managed to turn it OFF on my laptop, but it's still happening on my phone.
AI is not being offered as an "option" - it is being made the default, and then we have to first notice, and second work out whether (and how) we can opt out. Because the human mind is highly adaptive and malleable, the spread of AI will start to change how we think and interact.
I am not "anti-tech" - for my age I'm pretty competent with technology - but AI is becoming an unsupervised experiment on human consciousness and communication, with no ethical oversight and no easy way to reverse the effects.
And that's before we consider the socio-economic outcomes - the increasing elimination of meaningful work with no equitable redistribution of the resulting profits to those who have lost their employment.
Its alarming how AI is given the authority over the world, especially in search engines. It takes precedence over the truth. Disheartening to say the least, David.
This has been exactly my experience, Rea. The inauthenticity is what gets me, I feel as if I’m being duped. I fear that high expectations of a writer’s potential output on here may be exacerbating the problem. Then again, we all know the dedication it takes to keep regularly posting…and still commit the hours to doing it!
I agree. I am always a but disheartened when I perceive AI in anything. My writing is my writing. I love its imperfection, whit, and imperfectly perfect grammar and spelling. It bothers my perfectionist side that still hears the echoes of primary education teachers that labored to improve my writing. To them I owe gratitude. But writing and art is life, sometimes messy around the edges, raw and stupid. Yet at the center of it all is life with heart. I never thought I would see the day when error was an endorsement of my humanity. And you know, I think I will keep it that way. Thank you ReA.
What bothers me too are the “suspicions” and accusations. I don’t want to have to wonder who wrote something or worry about my own work being questioned. What bugs me maybe even more is that I am absorbing the tone and style of artificially generated content and have unintentionally started to mimic. I am now reading “old” literature intentionally to re scramble my way of loving and using language…
Suspicions must be proven. I stop reading and commenting when I compare previous pieces with recent pieces.
English is not my first language and I analyze everything I read. I've also been a journalist for many years. That means my radar kicks in when I spot discrepansies. We can't make allegations, but we can take the time to compare different pieces.
I never let AI learn from my writing. I made sure I clicked no. I thought I'd be able to tell, and in some ways I think it's in the flatness of a piece.
I love old English words and they are part of my vocabulary in the every day. Maybe it's all those years in church before that language was transformed.
I feel for those though that are accused inaccurately. I'm thankful I have over 30years of material as proof of my voice.
I agree, Debra. My voice, my own mistakes.
Even on the tube (TV) I can see programs and commercials are using AI. The stagnant or repetitive movements, inconsistent way the body moves or going through a solid object. Minute errors that catch the eye. They can mimic emotions but there's not the connection of spirit I sense.
I share your struggle, Rea. We are losing "voice" in AI. Because I have a couple of books and a good bit of content floating around, I asked AI to write a short essay about the joys of hiking, using the writing style of one Stephen Drew. In about 10 seconds, out came 300 words that at first blush were just delightful, but soul stripped. All it could do was pirate language, but had no concept of voice. That's the point I would fear, because it would imply sentience.
As for its use by artists, that would be a matter of conscience, but I hear you...adds the task of determining veracity to the process of consuming art.
It pirates language without emotion. Precisely, Stephen.
“We loved someone that didn’t exist.” That alone is kind of heartbreaking 💔
It broke heart when I realized it. 💔
Rea, I think you’ve described something very real.
Readers eventually become familiar with a writer’s voice.
Not just the style, but that subtle human trace between the lines.And when that voice suddenly changes, it doesn’t create anger as much as it creates a quiet feeling that something from the encounter has disappeared.Because good writing isn’t just text.It’s the presence of a human being on the other side.
We can feel the human on the other side, and when it disappears, or suddenly makes an appearance, we feel it.
Thank you for understanding, Dora.
AI takes the humanity and soul out of writing. I don't mind when people use AI to spell and grammar check. For myself? I'd rather see a typo go through to be published (!) than take the soul out of my story. Thank you for this. Love, V.
I agree with you, Virg. I'd rather make my own errors. ❤️
I wondered if that's why you left it in the title?
You're the first person who mentioned it, Virg! Bravo!
This is a concern of mine also. I've never used AI to write anything. I prefer my own "voice" and not something that sounds artificial or "pat". My husband and I have noticed AI creep into recent articles in our local newspaper. An acquaintance of ours who is a reporter for the newspaper was at first mediocre in her written newspaper articles. She would constantly make typing errors and grammatical errors. Over the last few months, none of that occurs. No mistakes, but her articles now read stilted.
It's disheartening to notice it creep in everywhere. Humans will become redundant on many platforms.
Hi Rea,
This is such an important essay. I used to be an English professor before AI was a thing, and I could easily spot if a student's writing style changed. The culprit was often a copy and paste of text from the Internet. Now, even though I'm no longer teaching, I hear from other educators about how AI is really a problem in students' work.
I believe that AI takes the humanity out of written work. Yes, the language might be stellar, but there is no heart. Like you, I'm an avid reader and am sensitive to a writer's style. Unfortunately, so many people are not readers, so they might not be able to tell the difference between AI and the real written work.
Thank you for addressing this issue. It's an important one.
Thank you for giving us a look from the educators' side of view. You made an important point. Our children will lose the ability to think for themselves! Can you imagine what will become of the written human word? It terrifies me, Beth.
It is terrifying, Rea. But I do have guarded optimism that there will always be writers who write from the heart.
There are many who write from the heart.
I tried it for a short time, but I saw exactly what you’re saying. I thought it was all about efficiency and putting more stuff out there to attract more people. But I decided I’d rather just put out one good piece of work a week, that comes directly from my heart. And one person finding me that Way would be worth a thousand brought in through psychological manipulation.
It writes without heart. Exactly!
Psychological manipulation. That's a scary thought, Aaron. Almost subliminal indoctrination. I won't sleep now.
It is scary. But when you think about it, that’s really what it does. That's what capitalism requires. When we say things like — craft the perfect headline, create an unfailing hook, That’s what we are really talking about. You’ve watched Mad Men, right?
No, I haven't! Now I think I should.
AI cannot summon the passion of the writer's work. When it is all the same you know it is fabricated, enhanced, wiped clean. I look for what is edgy, human, imprecise. I grieve the reign of AI. It kills the creative spirit. It is monotonous and one dimensional. I hope I can distinguish the living word from the digested word.
Fortunately it hasn't learned the human side of it yet. Yet!
100%
This is uncomfortable because it’s true, but I’m not sure the line is as clear as we think.
Is it really about AI, or about the rupture of trust when the “voice” no longer feels anchored in a person?
Because writers have always borrowed, edited, been influenced, even transformed over time. But something about AI feels different, almost like the disappearance of friction.
Maybe the real question is: do we read for the words themselves, or for the presence of someone behind them?
Curious how others experience that shift.
I read for the presence of the writer.
same
oh snap. i have the same sentiments here. i realized that in the beginning of my substack journey i subscribed to many whom i no longer read, and slowly developed a cluster of readers that i love, including you. i’m wondering if you unsubscribed from my publication because you think my voice changed. i don’t use artificial intelligence at all. not even for imagery. especially. i can tell you though, i’m evolving as a word curator (i have a hard time calling myself a writer, i have no credentials) as i surround myself with writers that i admire. i’m certainly growing as a human who loves to write poetry, and since i’ve started reading more here, my worldview as an artist had improved drastically.
Your work is definitely written in your own voice, Pen. I have no doubt about it.
Thanks, Rea. It's disturbing to see so many AI fabricated stories being shared (especially on places like Facebook). I've been keeping my practice of writing by hand and old-school typewriter in addition to using my laptop, but have no interest in using AI for the creative process. I hope we will remember our humanity
I hope the same, Jen!
It is increasingly disturbing, dear Rea.
The first time I submitted work for publication and had to sign a statement that "AI was not involved in any way" it really shocked me. Now, just a year or two later, I can see why it is essential and also increasingly hard to police.
Just yesterday Google Gemini started providing a summary of my incoming emails, including a summary of my ongoing email conversation with a friend. I found that deeply disturbing. I have managed to turn it OFF on my laptop, but it's still happening on my phone.
AI is not being offered as an "option" - it is being made the default, and then we have to first notice, and second work out whether (and how) we can opt out. Because the human mind is highly adaptive and malleable, the spread of AI will start to change how we think and interact.
I am not "anti-tech" - for my age I'm pretty competent with technology - but AI is becoming an unsupervised experiment on human consciousness and communication, with no ethical oversight and no easy way to reverse the effects.
And that's before we consider the socio-economic outcomes - the increasing elimination of meaningful work with no equitable redistribution of the resulting profits to those who have lost their employment.
Best Wishes to all
Dave
Its alarming how AI is given the authority over the world, especially in search engines. It takes precedence over the truth. Disheartening to say the least, David.
This has been exactly my experience, Rea. The inauthenticity is what gets me, I feel as if I’m being duped. I fear that high expectations of a writer’s potential output on here may be exacerbating the problem. Then again, we all know the dedication it takes to keep regularly posting…and still commit the hours to doing it!
Precisely, Esther. We spend time on our work. ❤️❤️
I agree. I am always a but disheartened when I perceive AI in anything. My writing is my writing. I love its imperfection, whit, and imperfectly perfect grammar and spelling. It bothers my perfectionist side that still hears the echoes of primary education teachers that labored to improve my writing. To them I owe gratitude. But writing and art is life, sometimes messy around the edges, raw and stupid. Yet at the center of it all is life with heart. I never thought I would see the day when error was an endorsement of my humanity. And you know, I think I will keep it that way. Thank you ReA.
I hear you, Kevin.