Love & Hate with AI
Can we balance tech with a human touch?
As I sit down to write, I'm torn between admiration and frustration when it comes to AI. I feel like I’ve a love and hate relationship with AI. I do use AI chatbots as almost everyone for one purpose or another, but sometimes I feel like it annoys me more than it helps me. Not that it annoys me directly (obviously why would it?) but the people who use it for the whole wrong purposes.
I'm the kind of person who loves reading opinion pieces more than fiction stories. And for this same purpose, I've been a regular reader of 'The Guardian' and 'The New York Times', to name a few. Whenever I had a topic in mind, a quick google search would turn up a whole range of articles, not just from the sources mentioned above. It was fun reading different perspectives (which, obviously, we humans form from our own rich past experiences and knowledge). This reading experience is, in itself, a way to shape our own mindset. I'm sure a lot of you would agree with me on this. There's something fascinating about reading words that flow straight from someone's innermost thoughts. Every single word and sentence is a glimpse into the writer's world, their perspective and experiences. It's personal, it's human.
My Gripes with Robot Writers
Now that our AI Chabots can generate an article in seconds, everyone suddenly claims to be a blogger or writer (whatever you prefer to call it), and no, I don't call myself one (not even in my wildest dreams) - no offense to the real writers and bloggers out there who truly earn their title!. When I'm in the mood to read opinion pieces or simple 'how to' articles, I often come across content filled with cliched phrases AI can’t get enough of (for reasons unknown to me)
Phrases like:
- ‘Let's dive into…’
- ‘In the realm of…’
- ‘In today's world…’
- ‘In the ever-evolving landscape of…’
- ‘In this era of…’
And the list goes on and on. These overused phrases immediately put me off. While reading something, I always form (consciously or unconsciously) a connection to the writer. With AI-generated content, that connection is lost. It feels more like talking to a robot than a person. Sure, the language is flawless, the structure is perfect, and the information is obviously accurate (most of the time), but it feels soulless.
It's like looking at a stunning piece of art that somehow lacks any real emotion.
It's a bit disheartening, honestly. I really miss that human touch, that flawed yet genuine voice that only we humans can bring to our writing.
My Love with AI
While, as I said earlier, I'm not a fan of AI-generated content, I have to admit that AI has evolved into a necessary tool for me while I write. It's a curious contradiction, really. Even though I prefer to handle the creative core myself, I'm happy to have AI help me with the extra stuff that surrounds writing. It helps me brainstorm ideas. Sometimes, when I'm stuck and can't think of what to write next, AI suggests topics that I might have overlooked. Then there's the editing process. Writing can be a messy affair. When a word or sentence strikes my mind (out of nowhere), a quick query to my favorite chatbot lets me know if it makes sense or not. This is something that used to take me a couple of minutes to hours to figure out before AI came along.
The Dilemma
So here I am, caught in this love-hate relationship with AI. I enjoy how AI reduces my workload and frees me up to focus on the more artistic parts of writing. but I also complain about the loss of human-written pieces that used to offer a genuine glimpse into someone's mind.
It's a strange balance. I miss the times when each item I read felt like a personal letter from the author. In the end, I guess, it's all about finding that middle ground. Embracing the benefits of AI while making an effort to maintain a human touch in our writing. By using AI to improve our writing experience and not ruining others' reading experience, we can certainly ensure that our work remains intimate and personal. After all, AI would never be able to fully replace the imagination and a personal touch of a human writer, no matter how sophisticated it gets. And maybe, just maybe, that's something worth holding onto.
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About the Creator
Khan
I'm all about letting my mind wander and sharing what I love. When I'm not singing my heart out vocally, I'm lost in the world of animation, bringing my imagination to life one frame at a time. Follow along for my stories and creations.
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Comments (7)
It is a tool, nothing more, in my opinion. It worries me, its rise but I think it is here to say, as we try and manage lives which are becoming more and more busy and less and less dedicated to slow, thoughtful process. I have nothing against it, per se, but I don't like reading things which are AI generated. I find them lacking and boring. Repetitious at times and just writing by rote. Interesting article, Khan.
The way how you see love and feel it is brilliant. I subscribed you to give my support and I welcome you to read my ones too 🥰!
This is a well-thought-out and written piece! I respect AI as a tool in a lot of scenarios, but it becomes a problem when it stops being a tool to help humans with their work and starts doing the work for them for sure.
I think you are using AI in the appropriate ways from what I'm hearing from you. "Many" are not, unfortunately, which is leading to the rise of "AI Junk". However, when AI is used based on its design, it can be a great tool!
I am 74 years old. I write my own stories probably because my journalism professor at Cal State LA hammered it into my head. He was against yellow journalisism. Big time. I worked put myself through college studying nursing, journalism, business, computers, art, film, photography etc. I attended college from 18 years old yo age 51. I remember going to LA library and East LA library to research papers, sometimes carrying home 10 books to read and research for my thesis papers. I remember working on a paper on my IBM typewriter til 4am. Complete it then realize I made 5 typos. So I started all over from scratch but still had my notes from reading through 10 books. I go to work at The LA Times that morning then to class that evening. Turning in my thesis. So many times I have done that. So, you are going by phrases to determine if someone uses AI to write their story? I honestly think you should research more. Go to the library check out 10 books. I use AI for research not to write my stories. I use it for drawing certain photos. I also use it for quotes. But no yellow journalism. Only who what when where and truth. So I love computers and I love AI. I no longer have to check out ten books to see if my professor can sue me for plagiarism. 😂AI is not scary to me. I embrace techmolat 74 years old. Step back, walk into the time machine to 1978 just saying
Interesting and delicious content. Keep posting more
You nailed it the way you described AI-generated content,"but it feels soulless." It is such a big turn-off for me when it's obvious and the author hasn't disclosed it. I don't like it, need it, or use it, but thank you for writing and sharing your story!