What are we going to do with all the AI-generated writing? Should we treat it like any other writing? Should we boycott it and distance ourselves from those who do it? Does it matter if a blogger discloses that they used AI in their post?
I ran across what I expect will be the first of many AI-generated posts at Medium the other day. Since authors who write more have a chance to earn more money, we have to expect some of this. In a sense, their model rewards it. Consistent with Medium's current policy, the author disclosed their use of AI in a note at the bottom of the post.
Feeling Dirty
The interesting thing about this disclosure was that it didn't help. As I read the post, I found myself thinking, "This is garbage." When I reached the end and saw that the author used AI to "write" it, I felt dirty.
It made sense that the writing lacked purpose or depth, but there was more to it than that. I wouldn't have clicked on it if I had known the text was AI-generated. The author was earning money because I'd read it without knowing what I was supporting.
Within two days of this, I found AI-generated content on a blog outside of Medium. It was a lengthy post dealing with a topic that interests me, and I read it from beginning to end. Then I saw that the author disclosed the use of AI in a note at the bottom. Up until that point, I was planning to share the post on social media to amplify its reach.
As soon as I saw the author's admission that they had used AI to write it, I changed my mind. I decided it wasn't worth promoting. This doesn't make much sense, but I regretted reading it.
I could be wrong, and I might change my mind. For all I know, I could end up deciding to use AI myself at some point. As of right now, that's hard to imagine. As of right now, I have little interest in supporting non-human writing.
How's That For Some Hypocrisy?
Wait a second! Haven't I used some AI-generated images in posts here at Atheist Revolution? Yes, I have. Isn't that hypocritical of me? It could be, though this isn't an image-focused blog. I don't regard the images I add to my posts to be anything more than an annoying necessity.
AI-generated images have been helpful when I have an image in my head I can't find anywhere. This isn't a common occurrence. I don't usually put much thought into trying to match images with content. But there are times when I have a specific image in mind with a particular look. When nothing close turns up in an image search, I've tried AI to make one.
I may return to the topic of AI-generated images in a future post. For now, I'll say that I view it as being different from using AI-generated text in this context. This is a text-focused blog and not an image-focused blog. If it was an image-focused blog, I might have a different perspective.
The Appeal of Shared Humanity
When I read, I'd like to believe I am reading the author's own words. I view reading as something akin to having a conversation with the author. I understand that this isn't the same thing. I know I could have a conversation with a machine too, but that holds little interest. The shared humanity found in good writing is a big part of what makes reading appealing to me.
Each of us will have to decide whether to use AI in our writing and how we regard those who do. I am far less inclined to read or promote AI-generated writing. I could change my mind in the future, but this describes my current views on the subject.
How about you? I'm curious to know how you feel about reading or promoting AI-generated writing.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
