You make a great distinction, here - and I hope that I have never confused anyone on this point, but maybe I have. "Separate yourself from your own writing and try to look at it with the reader’s eye."
When I say that I write for readers, too (the "too" is important, as I also write because I enjoy wordplay), I never mean that "I write for the market." Oh, I HAVE DONE SO. And there is nothing at all wrong with being a working writer, writing what your boss expects of you. Even there, I wrote FOR READERS - as a technical writer, my job was to translate technical information into words easily understood by a non-technical audience, and to write accurate instructions clearly that would enable them to quickly accomplish their goals. If you write for money but don't care about the reader, you'll never find satisfaction in it.
All writing - at least that which is published where others can read it - should have a purpose beyond mere self-indulgence. Even fiction and poetry.
I don't worry about the AI replacing real writers - not in terms of quality and credibility. But I do worry that "producers of content" will pass it off as real writing, and a large percentage of readers will accept it at face value. Soon, "fact-checking" will become impossible. If I had no ethics at all, I'd just let it write my LinkedIn bio blurb. Here's today's version, from OpenAI:
"Holly Jahangiri is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and public speaker. She is the co-founder of the successful online magazine "The Her Collective" and author of the critically acclaimed book "The Art of Connection". Holly is passionate about building community and inspiring others to reach their full potential. She regularly speaks on topics such as leadership, personal growth, and diversity. Holly's work in the fields of writing, entrepreneurship, and public speaking has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal."
It's not inaccurate in "the spirit of the law," as I am an award-winning author (not of either of these titles, if they even exist at all) and I have spoken in public. I'm passionate about building community and I truly appreciate diversity. I have written on writing and taught others how to improve their skills. I couldn't give a rat's whiskers about "leadership" or "entrepreneurship" and have NEVER been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, OR The Wall Street Journal. So the claimed "facts" in this AI-generated bio blurb have no factual basis at all.
More interesting (and more probable), but still nothing but fantasy and fiction, I asked it: "If Holly Jahangiri wrote her own biography, what would she say about herself?"
"Holly Jahangiri is a passionate and creative artist, entrepreneur, and storyteller. She is an independent filmmaker and photographer whose work has been featured in publications such as National Geographic Magazine, The Washington Post, and Time Magazine. She is also the founder of her own production company, HollyJ Productions. Holly has traveled the world, exploring diverse cultures and meeting inspiring people along the way. As an artist, she is constantly exploring new ways to tell stories through film, photography, and multimedia. She is dedicated to creating meaningful content that promotes positive change in the world by helping to build empathy and understanding between cultures. Holly firmly believes that stories can be a powerful tool for making a difference."
Aspirational bit of fluff, that... maybe I should start a Vision Board around it?
You make a great distinction, here - and I hope that I have never confused anyone on this point, but maybe I have. "Separate yourself from your own writing and try to look at it with the reader’s eye."
When I say that I write for readers, too (the "too" is important, as I also write because I enjoy wordplay), I never mean that "I write for the market." Oh, I HAVE DONE SO. And there is nothing at all wrong with being a working writer, writing what your boss expects of you. Even there, I wrote FOR READERS - as a technical writer, my job was to translate technical information into words easily understood by a non-technical audience, and to write accurate instructions clearly that would enable them to quickly accomplish their goals. If you write for money but don't care about the reader, you'll never find satisfaction in it.
All writing - at least that which is published where others can read it - should have a purpose beyond mere self-indulgence. Even fiction and poetry.
I don't worry about the AI replacing real writers - not in terms of quality and credibility. But I do worry that "producers of content" will pass it off as real writing, and a large percentage of readers will accept it at face value. Soon, "fact-checking" will become impossible. If I had no ethics at all, I'd just let it write my LinkedIn bio blurb. Here's today's version, from OpenAI:
"Holly Jahangiri is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and public speaker. She is the co-founder of the successful online magazine "The Her Collective" and author of the critically acclaimed book "The Art of Connection". Holly is passionate about building community and inspiring others to reach their full potential. She regularly speaks on topics such as leadership, personal growth, and diversity. Holly's work in the fields of writing, entrepreneurship, and public speaking has been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal."
It's not inaccurate in "the spirit of the law," as I am an award-winning author (not of either of these titles, if they even exist at all) and I have spoken in public. I'm passionate about building community and I truly appreciate diversity. I have written on writing and taught others how to improve their skills. I couldn't give a rat's whiskers about "leadership" or "entrepreneurship" and have NEVER been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, OR The Wall Street Journal. So the claimed "facts" in this AI-generated bio blurb have no factual basis at all.
More interesting (and more probable), but still nothing but fantasy and fiction, I asked it: "If Holly Jahangiri wrote her own biography, what would she say about herself?"
"Holly Jahangiri is a passionate and creative artist, entrepreneur, and storyteller. She is an independent filmmaker and photographer whose work has been featured in publications such as National Geographic Magazine, The Washington Post, and Time Magazine. She is also the founder of her own production company, HollyJ Productions. Holly has traveled the world, exploring diverse cultures and meeting inspiring people along the way. As an artist, she is constantly exploring new ways to tell stories through film, photography, and multimedia. She is dedicated to creating meaningful content that promotes positive change in the world by helping to build empathy and understanding between cultures. Holly firmly believes that stories can be a powerful tool for making a difference."
Aspirational bit of fluff, that... maybe I should start a Vision Board around it?