Writing in the Age of AI: Why I'm Still Pursuing My Dream

(just stick with me here)

As an aspiring writer who has quit their office job to pursue their dream of writing full-time, I know that the decision to pursue a creative career can be daunting. But with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), many people may feel that their dreams of becoming a writer are being threatened.

However, I firmly believe that AI will not replace writers, and that there will always be a need for human creativity in the world of writing. While AI may be able to generate text, it cannot replicate the unique voice, perspective, and imagination that humans…

(hold on, I'm funnier than that, let's try again)

So, I did a thing. I quit my office job to pursue my lifelong dream of being a writer. Crazy, right? But with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), I know some of you might be worried that my dream job could be taken over by robots.

Well, fear not! AI might be able to generate text, but it can't replicate my wit, charm, and ridiculous sense of humor. Plus, who else is going to make a punny dad joke in the middle of a serious essay? AI just can't handle that kind of comedic genius.

So, thanks for supporting me in this crazy endeavor. And don't worry, I promise I won't be replaced by a robot anytime soon. Unless, of course, that robot is programmed to make even better dad jokes than me. In that case, all bets are off.

(too much, let's rein it in)

I’ll admit, the writing industry is definitely in a state of flux right now, and it can be intimidating to think about what the future might hold. But I believe that the rise of AI and other technological advancements should inspire us to be even more creative and innovative in our writing.

We have the opportunity to harness these tools to enhance our writing and bring our ideas to life in new and exciting ways. And while AI might be able to mimic certain writing styles, it will struggle to replicate the unique voice, perspective, and imagination that each individual writer brings to the table.

At the end of the day, I am still committed to pursuing my dream of being a writer, and I believe that my creativity and passion for writing will allow me to thrive in this ever-changing landscape. Thank you for your support, and I look forward to sharing my writing journey with all of you.

(Pretty good, actually. Thanks ChatGPT.)

AI's been on my mind. I think it has been for a lot of us, especially given the ongoing writers’ strike. But it seems little consolation to know I’m not the only one nervously typing away in a corner, if at the end of the day, I’m still, you know, nervously typing away in a corner. That’s a rough baseline.

I do understand that we all have to adapt and find our way in this world. That’s nothing new. Did the mathematicians feel like they were being attacked by Ti-89's? That's a real question, not a hypothetical. Did they? Because I kind of do (by ChatGPT, not calculators), and it feels ridiculous.

And then that self-doubting thought creeps in, and it’s an especially scary one this time. The thought that this is simply the wrong time to try to be a writer, that this small, AI-induced crack in the writing landscape will quickly become a generation-defining schism. I don't want to believe it but I can't afford to disbelieve it, either.

But screw it. I have to keep going, because I want to keep going, and it feels unfair not to. And in the wonderfully clear words of Ian during a much-needed pep talk, “Even when it feels like the wrong time to do the right thing, the right thing is still the right thing.” Feel free to put that on a coffee mug (actually, ask him first, just in case).

Resolve isn’t everything, though. In some ways I know I have to get used to the AI age. I have to embrace it, with extremely resistant arms that really don't like the idea of AI-generated hugs. It's the way the world works (will work?) now.

So I wrote this post and its title mostly with ChatGPT (excepting the green). If you're interested in seeing a print-out of the whole script/my back-and-forth with ChatGPT, follow this link! And try not to have an existential crisis (I'm on my fourth, which is actually not bad, all things considered).