November 15th 2023.
ChatGPT is a mysterious black box with a human face. We don't know how it works, but it does. We can place our requests in this box and it'll generate a credible-looking answer. But then we must ask ourselves: Is this the truth or just an illusion?
My experience with artificial intelligence was both disturbing and impressive. I had written what I thought to be a great piece of writing and wanted to put it to the test. I used a creative headline I had agonized over as a prompt and out came 1,000 words written in a humorous style. It was so good I almost tore up my article and accepted ChatGPT's work instead. But I didn't, and sent my own writing through to my editor.
This showed me that I don't need to use ChatGPT. It can be both a crutch and a tool, depending on how it's used. It's a tech net that captures the collective intelligence of humankind and wraps it up in a well-structured response. People can use it for efficiency and productivity, yet it feels like stealing since it's not our own thoughts.
That's why I often write without ChatGPT. In college, I wrote to pass a subject, driven by an extrinsic motivation. Once I turned fifty, I started a blog and wrote an essay a day, driven by an intrinsic motivation. I write to make sense of all the information, to capture ideas, to distill complexity into understandable simplicity, to reflect on my past and present, to learn, to create, to escape, and to validate and affirm my work.
Writing is a way for me to transcend myself and reach a mysterious realm. I write to be interesting, to inform and educate, to practice my skills, and to inspire. Revealing our thoughts to the world is part of the joy and pain of being a writer.
Ultimately, ChatGPT can never fulfill the essence of why artists and creators create. It can never understand the human stories and emotions that AI will never know. That's why I write, and why I will continue to do so.
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