I can't say I'm sold. A lot of the use cases you describe are things I already have my own, human systems for, or are muscles I would like to continue exercising in my own brain. At this point given everything known about AI today, I wouldn't upload my own work to one for analysis, not even a small section. This topic is a little difficult because, after all, it's developing so fast that the facts today may not be the facts tomorrow or next week and almost certainly not next year - so I don't say "never". So far, every time I tried to ask AI generators to do something for me, the result was either useless or I could have better spent the time that I took to come up with prompts on just doing the actual work. Now, if an AI can clean my house for me or order my groceries when we're running low, that will be a very different proposition that I will embrace eagerly!
You've tempted me to tiptoe into this Ben, if only for experimentation. But it still makes me feel queasy. Say I use AI, as you did, to assist with forward progress from a stuck point in my novel. And later I use the AI to write the novel summary I put in my query letter to agents. Say I use it to write the letter itself. When an agent's submission guidelines say, "We will not accept AI generated work" where does that leave me? I have a very large (hyperactive) conscience. I CAN'T LIE. And I think what freaks me out about using AI in any part of my creative practice is it feels like lying. Like if an agent asked me point blank if I'd used AI for any part of my writing process - I'd start sweating. And I'd ultimately say, yes. And then I'm out. Any advice for retraining myself NOT to see AI assistance as a form of dishonesty when it comes to selling the work it helped create?? I want my life to be easier to. But ... queasy... ☹️
Brilliant read, Ben. I have been using ChatGPT daily for my work job for over a year to streamline various tasks on the research side and also to generative creative ideas on the teaching side, and it's become invaluable.
I hadn't consider using it as an editorial assistant, but this makes complete sense. I guess my only slight concern here is that by uploading the entire story so far, is it getting mined and fed into the bowels of the LLM? I haven't read up on any of that. It's a drop in the ocean of course, but it does make me stop to wonder.
Also: "But that was already happening - see the Marvel universe." hehehe. 100% agree.
Wow, Ben, your piece on AI really resonated with me. It’s cool how you went from skepticism to seeing AI as a useful tool, almost like finding a guide in uncharted territory. The way you describe AI as more of a creative partner than just a tech gadget makes the whole concept feel more approachable and personal. Reading about how AI helped unblock your novel’s progress was especially inspiring. It's a fresh perspective, blending the practical with the imaginative, and reminding us that AI can be a companion in our creative journeys, helping clear the path for our ideas.
Ok. So, I was full on in the Taylor Swift camp. Utterly distrustful and suspicious, bordering on dismissive. But you made an excellent case, and the way you used it for Harmony House is really, very clever. Anyway, long story short, I made a ChatGPT account and practiced a bit—I even gave it your post (I hope that’s ok?!) and it wrote the comment above for me…! 😨 I need to mess about with it a lot more, but I’m really grateful for the encouragement to use it to save time. I could actually really use an assistant to do boring but time consuming things, so, I’m open to giving this a proper go! Thank you for making me step out of the dark ages. I absolutely love having my mind changed :)
You are right about Swift but not about airfryers. I promise you won't be disappointed.
As for AI, that prompt you gave is brilliant! I have used chatgpt in my day job where I have to write copy for products and ecommerce newsletters (it's my own business). Writing these is like the field plowing of desk jobs. Gotta do it, but don't want to. I have no problem asking it for help with mundane writing tasks. I also like to ask it questions like deciding which writing project to tackle first. Or bullet points to explain a philosophical principle.
I have also used ai to write my own bio, a synopsis and so on, because this is the stuff I'm garbage at. When I was a music journalist, I never ever wrote my own headlines. As a novelist, I am crap at blurbs. I can write 80000 words but nothing under 25. I agree with you - do what you're good at and get a gardener if you don't like watering plants and mowing.
Thank you for this summary and insight! I have been completely resistant to AI but can definitely see potential for its use in my full time job. Your article gave me more understanding and also sparked my curiosity to learn more.This also makes me wonder if an AI finance assistant may be available to manage my bills and spending! Ha! Now that would be useful.
I've gotten some great perspective from this piece.
And I have a few thoughts. Digital recording has made rap, as we now know it, possible. Some think that's great. I don't. I respect musicians whose instrument is, well, their instrument. I'm not sure that the software will ever exist that has an instinct concerning when to play 'behind the beat', when to vary tempo, and so forth. I've tried recording with the metronome, but it doesn't suit me. Rap is what I call 'mechanical'. Nuance is difficult to pull off, when software is calling the shots. But what I've said here more supports than contradicts what you've said, Ben.
You said "There are concerns around the potential stasis and even degradation of intellectual creations whether it’s art, photography, film, music, or writing. After all, if everyone is just using AI to create based on what’s been created in the past, we will end up in an echo chamber of bad reproductions." I could write a book about this. (Maybe I will, right after all the OTHER stuff that I'm going to write!) I spent a career as an architectural woodworker, and am very knowledgeable concerning production techniques since before the beginning of the industrial revolution. The changes have been somewhat reminiscent of AI, but for mechanical systems. When everything was done by hand, the craftsman's 'fingerprints' showed. Individuality could easily show itself. But as streamlined production took hold, individuality fell by the wayside. There's no time for individual flourishes, when a piece is moving down the assembly line. Machines cut straight lines and square corners very efficiently, but generally suck at curves, odd angles, etc. So, designs got modified to be more straight and square than they had previously been. The result was more uniformity in design and construction, and less individuality. Even function has been compromised, in deference to efficiency of production.
Like I said, I could write a book. There is an expression I came across a few years back: Mediocracy thrives on standardization. Even without AI, conformity of thought has become chronic to the point that conformity of thought is more accepted than rational thought and examination.
Ben, you mentioned that doctors and lawyers shouldn't have to waste their valuable time doing housework. I agree, to an extent. And to the extent that AI can take out the trash and mow the lawn, I'm pretty much for it. But let's not let it be too reliant on AI for developing our thoughts and our perspectives. Yes, it can even help with that. But human nature seems to encourage lazy thinking. That leaves AI wide open for abuse and misuse. Be careful.
When man discovered how to master fire, I'm sure there were also many people who were afraid or critical of the use of fire. AI is doing an excellent job in the field of health, for example.
Nothing replaces what is human, but I'm sure we'll be better humans if we know how to use AI thoughtfully
This is really useful Ben. I’ve tried using AI a bit here and there (I had it draft some instructions to my family on better password practices the other day), but your detailed advice on framing your prompts is especially good. Thanks.
Hey, got a question and thought I'd ask it here since others might also like to know. I tried uploading my entire memoir onto ChatGPT and it's too long. Is this the right place to do this? I think you mentioned in your essay that you did this with Harmony House?
A bit hard to embrace it all while being left without a job since November (my longest draught) thanks to ai.
What I give to this tech though is that, hopefully, it’ll revive interest in theater, for example. And maybe someday 100%-human created art will be so rare that it’s value will see a history-high increase.
I have been dismissive and distressed at the thought(s) aswirl about and around AI, wondering if I’ll ever know what or who has created the many texts that come before me. Only so reasoned and carefully framed an employ of a chatGPT as yours, and by someone who writes so well, is enough to make me think harder, to re-visit my pretty full dread and dismissal. I should explore . . . But I still so worry about the creep, creep in the practice, if not in your or may case, then in so many. The improved training of the thing making it more and more alluring to hand off more and more (aspects getting re-defined as) “drudgery,” more “tasks,” quite beyond summarising, prep-work, getting eye colour consistent, etc.
I can't say I'm sold. A lot of the use cases you describe are things I already have my own, human systems for, or are muscles I would like to continue exercising in my own brain. At this point given everything known about AI today, I wouldn't upload my own work to one for analysis, not even a small section. This topic is a little difficult because, after all, it's developing so fast that the facts today may not be the facts tomorrow or next week and almost certainly not next year - so I don't say "never". So far, every time I tried to ask AI generators to do something for me, the result was either useless or I could have better spent the time that I took to come up with prompts on just doing the actual work. Now, if an AI can clean my house for me or order my groceries when we're running low, that will be a very different proposition that I will embrace eagerly!
You've tempted me to tiptoe into this Ben, if only for experimentation. But it still makes me feel queasy. Say I use AI, as you did, to assist with forward progress from a stuck point in my novel. And later I use the AI to write the novel summary I put in my query letter to agents. Say I use it to write the letter itself. When an agent's submission guidelines say, "We will not accept AI generated work" where does that leave me? I have a very large (hyperactive) conscience. I CAN'T LIE. And I think what freaks me out about using AI in any part of my creative practice is it feels like lying. Like if an agent asked me point blank if I'd used AI for any part of my writing process - I'd start sweating. And I'd ultimately say, yes. And then I'm out. Any advice for retraining myself NOT to see AI assistance as a form of dishonesty when it comes to selling the work it helped create?? I want my life to be easier to. But ... queasy... ☹️
Brilliant read, Ben. I have been using ChatGPT daily for my work job for over a year to streamline various tasks on the research side and also to generative creative ideas on the teaching side, and it's become invaluable.
I hadn't consider using it as an editorial assistant, but this makes complete sense. I guess my only slight concern here is that by uploading the entire story so far, is it getting mined and fed into the bowels of the LLM? I haven't read up on any of that. It's a drop in the ocean of course, but it does make me stop to wonder.
Also: "But that was already happening - see the Marvel universe." hehehe. 100% agree.
Wow, Ben, your piece on AI really resonated with me. It’s cool how you went from skepticism to seeing AI as a useful tool, almost like finding a guide in uncharted territory. The way you describe AI as more of a creative partner than just a tech gadget makes the whole concept feel more approachable and personal. Reading about how AI helped unblock your novel’s progress was especially inspiring. It's a fresh perspective, blending the practical with the imaginative, and reminding us that AI can be a companion in our creative journeys, helping clear the path for our ideas.
Ok. So, I was full on in the Taylor Swift camp. Utterly distrustful and suspicious, bordering on dismissive. But you made an excellent case, and the way you used it for Harmony House is really, very clever. Anyway, long story short, I made a ChatGPT account and practiced a bit—I even gave it your post (I hope that’s ok?!) and it wrote the comment above for me…! 😨 I need to mess about with it a lot more, but I’m really grateful for the encouragement to use it to save time. I could actually really use an assistant to do boring but time consuming things, so, I’m open to giving this a proper go! Thank you for making me step out of the dark ages. I absolutely love having my mind changed :)
You are right about Swift but not about airfryers. I promise you won't be disappointed.
As for AI, that prompt you gave is brilliant! I have used chatgpt in my day job where I have to write copy for products and ecommerce newsletters (it's my own business). Writing these is like the field plowing of desk jobs. Gotta do it, but don't want to. I have no problem asking it for help with mundane writing tasks. I also like to ask it questions like deciding which writing project to tackle first. Or bullet points to explain a philosophical principle.
I have also used ai to write my own bio, a synopsis and so on, because this is the stuff I'm garbage at. When I was a music journalist, I never ever wrote my own headlines. As a novelist, I am crap at blurbs. I can write 80000 words but nothing under 25. I agree with you - do what you're good at and get a gardener if you don't like watering plants and mowing.
Lastly, do you actually tip it?
I thought you might enjoy this ... My problem with Ai is simply honesty... New tech is open to truth abuse, particularly in my industry ...https://open.substack.com/pub/leighgbanks/p/8-billion-reasons-ai-is-the-art-of?r=drr6n&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
Going to save this one and give it a good think and test run for some experiments - thanks Ben!!
Thank you for this summary and insight! I have been completely resistant to AI but can definitely see potential for its use in my full time job. Your article gave me more understanding and also sparked my curiosity to learn more.This also makes me wonder if an AI finance assistant may be available to manage my bills and spending! Ha! Now that would be useful.
AI is also excellent for planning family meals for the week, and associated dietary needs, and grocery list. 😁
I've gotten some great perspective from this piece.
And I have a few thoughts. Digital recording has made rap, as we now know it, possible. Some think that's great. I don't. I respect musicians whose instrument is, well, their instrument. I'm not sure that the software will ever exist that has an instinct concerning when to play 'behind the beat', when to vary tempo, and so forth. I've tried recording with the metronome, but it doesn't suit me. Rap is what I call 'mechanical'. Nuance is difficult to pull off, when software is calling the shots. But what I've said here more supports than contradicts what you've said, Ben.
You said "There are concerns around the potential stasis and even degradation of intellectual creations whether it’s art, photography, film, music, or writing. After all, if everyone is just using AI to create based on what’s been created in the past, we will end up in an echo chamber of bad reproductions." I could write a book about this. (Maybe I will, right after all the OTHER stuff that I'm going to write!) I spent a career as an architectural woodworker, and am very knowledgeable concerning production techniques since before the beginning of the industrial revolution. The changes have been somewhat reminiscent of AI, but for mechanical systems. When everything was done by hand, the craftsman's 'fingerprints' showed. Individuality could easily show itself. But as streamlined production took hold, individuality fell by the wayside. There's no time for individual flourishes, when a piece is moving down the assembly line. Machines cut straight lines and square corners very efficiently, but generally suck at curves, odd angles, etc. So, designs got modified to be more straight and square than they had previously been. The result was more uniformity in design and construction, and less individuality. Even function has been compromised, in deference to efficiency of production.
Like I said, I could write a book. There is an expression I came across a few years back: Mediocracy thrives on standardization. Even without AI, conformity of thought has become chronic to the point that conformity of thought is more accepted than rational thought and examination.
Ben, you mentioned that doctors and lawyers shouldn't have to waste their valuable time doing housework. I agree, to an extent. And to the extent that AI can take out the trash and mow the lawn, I'm pretty much for it. But let's not let it be too reliant on AI for developing our thoughts and our perspectives. Yes, it can even help with that. But human nature seems to encourage lazy thinking. That leaves AI wide open for abuse and misuse. Be careful.
When man discovered how to master fire, I'm sure there were also many people who were afraid or critical of the use of fire. AI is doing an excellent job in the field of health, for example.
Nothing replaces what is human, but I'm sure we'll be better humans if we know how to use AI thoughtfully
This is really useful Ben. I’ve tried using AI a bit here and there (I had it draft some instructions to my family on better password practices the other day), but your detailed advice on framing your prompts is especially good. Thanks.
Hey, got a question and thought I'd ask it here since others might also like to know. I tried uploading my entire memoir onto ChatGPT and it's too long. Is this the right place to do this? I think you mentioned in your essay that you did this with Harmony House?
Very useful, and some of it is remarkably similar to an article I've recently published myself, for a different publication.
A bit hard to embrace it all while being left without a job since November (my longest draught) thanks to ai.
What I give to this tech though is that, hopefully, it’ll revive interest in theater, for example. And maybe someday 100%-human created art will be so rare that it’s value will see a history-high increase.
I have been dismissive and distressed at the thought(s) aswirl about and around AI, wondering if I’ll ever know what or who has created the many texts that come before me. Only so reasoned and carefully framed an employ of a chatGPT as yours, and by someone who writes so well, is enough to make me think harder, to re-visit my pretty full dread and dismissal. I should explore . . . But I still so worry about the creep, creep in the practice, if not in your or may case, then in so many. The improved training of the thing making it more and more alluring to hand off more and more (aspects getting re-defined as) “drudgery,” more “tasks,” quite beyond summarising, prep-work, getting eye colour consistent, etc.