AI sucks, and you probably shouldn't use it.
Recently I read two blog posts, and it made me realize I haven’t really read any for a while before that.
The two posts were by Chris Coyier and Dave Rupert. They happen to run a podcast together but that isn’t why I clicked. I clicked on their posts when I ignore so many others because I care about what these two say. Because of the many things these two have done/written/posted they have secured a spot in my brain as people to listen to. When they have something to say, there is a chance I will find it valuable.
This isn’t a post about how great those two are though. This is a post about how much AI sucks.
We don't read to obtain facts, we read to absorb experience.
The easiest way for Chris or Dave to get me to never click on their posts again would be to start churning out content created by an AI. You might think I am wrong about that, and if you do I wan’t you to go and read the two posts I read and ask yourself “Is it currently possible for AI to write these posts?” You will immediately concede it isn’t. But the more avid AI fans among you might argue, “It can’t write them from scratch, but it could help Chris/Dave write them, or to expand on their thoughts.” I don’t think that is really true either though. Those two posts are uniquely human.
For Chris, he is writing about how he feels after making an incredibly hard decision that had less-than-stellar consequences on a community he loves. Dave happened to share real insight humans will often lie and obscure because it sounds a bit odd. To come out and say, “Just make shit so I can have you come ramble for an hour about it because content is hard to make,” is an insight you will only get from a real creator. If you ask AI to write you this post you will probably get some top 10 list about the importance of consistency, or networking, or some other platitude we have all heard a thousand times. Compare that to the realness of Dave’s post and I think it is obvious which has more value.
AI isn't going to take your job, someone who uses AI will.
The next point you might make is, “Well, Dave could write most of it and drive the AI so it can work as an assistant and improve the writing.” I don’t think that is true either.
I actually played around with Dave's post and ChatGPT to “fact check” my own beliefs. When I asked ChatGPT to improve the post it actually didn't make many changes, and the ones it did make cheapened it. The biggest change it made happened right at the beginning. It actually changed the line “Already be talking about something” to “Be actively engaged in conversations.” Which highlights something I point out about AI all the time: it doesn’t understand shit. When I read “Already be talking about something” I think “Have a passion you are sharing and can come share with my audience,” which the rest of the post re-affirms. When I read “Be actively engaged in conversations.” I think “Be an active listener and good conversationalist” which his post touches on kind of, but it isn’t the point. As usual AI misses the nuance and railroads over it with its “helpful” edit.
A war against the chatbots.
I notice this constantly when I try to use AI in my own life, and I think I have gathered enough of my own evidence to definitively say this shit sucks and all the people hyping it are kind of delusional. I won’t be using AI in any capacity when it comes to writing going forward. This goes for blogs, social media, website copy, or anything else I would have written down from my own brain before.
Rest assured if you bother to read anything I've written, the little meat computer in my skull was the only thing pushing dumb thoughts out.
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Joke: is this post is actually written by AI?
Couldn't agree more with this post though. AI content offers very little, amongst other products that are little more that a ChatGPT wrapper. I do think there is an opportunity there but I am yet to see it.
The only "AI" tool I have seen that offers some value is Copilot, however, this is still a long way off the hysteria. Many of the suggestions are often incorrect.
I am a full-time copywriter.
I agree with everything you said up and above.
I found that AI made me lazier and made my copy real bad.
I haven't used GPT in 2 months now.
Wow that is fascinating to hear. I don't write much so I was wondering if someone who wrote all the time would feel the same or different. I think given that AI is going to start ingesting AI written content it will only get worse.
I agree with everything you said up and above.
We should make a distinction as to what types of writing Gen AI is and is not helpful for.
Droll, boiler plate writing (ex. summarizing meeting notes) is perfectly fine for AI. It's technically proficient at summarizing lots of information, and if the summary is written in a somewhat mechanical way no one cares. They just want the information.
Writing that relies on creative thought or prose as part of its value is obviously not suited for AI, at least not where it is today.
I think there's a lot of truth to your take on AI but I'd disagree on the lack of value for AI in writing altogether. While I do agree, AI is not capable of exemplifying the human experience. I do however believe, it can streamline the writing process. It could be in the form of brainstorming, it could be in the form of editing (of course you'll need to edit what the AI gives you back). It's a powerful tool that's overused.
One thing I'd add though with regard to the idea of AI generated blogs is that if you really want that information, why would you go to the internet for it when you could go directly to ChatGPT for exactly the content you're looking for?
Thanks for providing some contrast in the world of our currently AI saturated world.
Great point
Amen!!! If I ever found out a blog I enjoyed was using AI to write its posts, I'd unsubscribe from their emails and never read their blog again. What value does something have if it doesn't come from a direct human experience? None.
Can you imagine reading someone for a year and finding out they had been doing that all along. I would feel deceived, betrayed even. There are very few things I would be ok reading written by a robot.
Thank you for writing this post. I've been thinking this for a while but you don't see much AI skepticism it feels like.
I'm very tired of new products/businesses that are just doing things that already exist but now only 60% effectively. I'll take less volume with higher quality vs the alternative any day.
Yeah seems most have drank the kool-aid. At least in tech. I think we will see a rubber band effect soon where people start to really hate AI content, both in images and text.
I love your point "we read to absorb experiences." Well-crafted content remains compelling and won't be replaced by AI anytime soon. AI feeds off our understanding and I think it's more than evident where someone has taken the time to digest or wrestle with ideas before expressing a thought. Thanks for sharing this. Looks like you have a solid little meat computer :)
Thanks that meant a lot to read, I have always felt really awkward about writing anything. Trying to force myself to do it now. I love talking to people, so I am trying to picture it more like that.
I hear you. There's something about writing and sharing online in today's cancel culture that can feel quite vulnerable. I'm really starting to appreciate avenues like this where you know you're in the company of others in similar situations who may have a dose more empathy than the average Internet peruser and who could offer feedback or insight that might be more valuable given their background knowledge. Keep at it -- I'll keep reading.
Just AI may be incomplete but using AI has benefits. I see AI as an accelerator (catalyst of sorts) than anything else.
Currently we are in an AI hype cycle where lot of folks are trying to gain attention by using AI, once this cycle stabilizes it would be more clear.
Ai Vs Writers
Are you using 3.5 or 4? It makes a big difference. Also if you’re just taking a stab at AI here and there, you’re not going to see huge benefits. Takes time and coaching.
I have tried all of them, a few times too. What is AI helping you accomplish?
Hilariously, everyone defending AI refuses to address your main point, which is that it is not fit for writing.
Actually AI is new for this generation. It has mindblowing tasks. By the time it will get more stronger and will be 10x better than now. As your point, I aggree that AI needs many improvements and then it will become a perfect tool for todays life.
Present AI tools, particularly GPT tools, often struggle with creating content from scratch (0 to 1). However, they can be highly beneficial when provided with context and used for refining existing drafts (1 to 100). In my experience, the human element remains crucial in determining the quality of outcomes produced by current AI tools.
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skill issues
What have you been able to do with AI?
working products with v decent mrr. basically I do the work of 10 sw engineers by using copilot. Key is to force yourself to not be lazy when using it.
Show off your products!
Totally agree! Reading Levi's take on AI and creativity, I couldn't nod harder. AI might be advanced, but it's light-years away from capturing the raw authenticity and depth of human experience. Levi's spot-on about the irreplaceable value of human touch in content creation. AI can't replicate that magic.
I understand the concerns raised in the article about AI's capabilities in writing and the broader implications for jobs and society. However, I can't help but feel that this perspective might be a bit like critiquing the performance of a 1970 IBM computer and concluding that all future computers are doomed to fail. This seems to overlook the evolution and improvement of technology over time.
From my personal experience, AI has been incredibly beneficial, especially in areas where I don't have strong expertise. For instance, I'm not a professional writer, but AI has significantly helped me with writing documentation. This assistance has solved numerous communication challenges for me. Nowadays, I simply outline what I need covered, and the AI generates coherent paragraphs. This capability has been a game-changer for me.
It's important to recognize that using AI in writing doesn't necessarily mean it will take over all forms of creative writing or replace every job out there. Just as the first printer didn't immediately make the role of scribes obsolete, AI's current abilities in writing are just the beginning. We are witnessing the early stages of what AI can do, and its potential to assist in various tasks, including writing, is immense.
Lastly, in the spirit of transparency, I'd like to mention that this comment was written with the help of AI. This doesn't detract from the validity of my points but rather illustrates the practical benefits of AI in real-life applications.
Were not really in the early stages. Most of the tech behind current "AI" is old, we are just now getting enough compute power to do anything interesting with it. Also I can tell that was "assisted" by AI because it was very wordy without saying much 🤷