Artificial Intelligence

Well, I did it. I finished 12 basket blocks for Week 3 Summer Memories. I have to sew them into 3 finished blocks, which I hope to do today. I am a week behind, but I am going to have to just accept that and live with it. No problem, I've got all summer.

I may have a lot more time to do sewing in the near future. The company I work for has taken away several of my clients recently and "reassigned them to internal writers". They tell me my work is "incredible" and they "value me", but these changes are "necessary". And when I check my former client's websites, the new work that is being produced doesn't seem to me to be as good as the work I was producing for them.

Do you know what I think? I don't know for sure, but I am beginning to believe that the company is using AI to write articles for their clients. There are new Artificial Intelligence websites that are free, such as ChatGPT. You tell them "Write a 500-page essay on how a key design trend for outdoor living in 2023 is making a firepit the focal point of your backyard" and literally, in ONE MINUTE, the program generates a well-written and plausible article on the subject. All they need to do is insert a couple of sentences referring readers to their client and they are done. And they don't have to pay several writers for creative content. They can have one person cranking out articles in minutes that would take writers a couple of hours to create. This could be a major cost savings for an employer.

I'd love to know your thoughts. Do you value personal, creative content? Are you worried that creators are in danger of being replaced by these artificial intelligence programs? I feel like I am being edged out and frankly, it scares me.

Comments

[Pamela Dempsey]

Yes, you may have just hit the nail on the head! 😟

[T Holzer]

Very scary and it's impossible to imagine what else is to come!

[Patricia Boyle]

Yes I do and it scares the Hell out of me! I don’t think we have seen the worst that will come from this. I fear for our grandchildren.

[Carol]

I own a website and the provider has introduced AI to write product descriptions. I can’t afford a writer so I thought it would be a win. My first few attempts really blew me away— however, it took some time for me to see how shallow and repetitive and in need of tweaking the descriptions are. My takeaway is that humans will never be replaced and your employer will be back in touch with you when they go through the same learning curve I did. Sorry to hear it-/ but don’t worry. Xoxo

[Bonnie]

I write copy from vendor materials as well. As a joke, my manager tried one of the AI bots. It wrote extensively, but it was quite shallow.

I'm against it!! I think it's another way to curate what we are allowed to see and know about.

[Erin]

I'm sorry this change has happened to you. Your company and others like them are making big mistakes by replacing the creativity and talents of humans.
I was so glad when the medical clinics here stopped using scripted greetings. They seemed very insincere and canned. I always left feeling more like cattle than a human being.
I do hope your employer will quickly realize what they lose by going with anything other than talented human beings. Who would choose artificial anything when one could have the real thing?

[CarolE]

I watched my son-in-law use AI to write a letter just for fun. The letter was well written, but he had supplied all the bullet points of information. I lost my job as a medical transcriptionist 20 years ago due to voice recognition. We can't stop this rapidly advancing technology; however, it is scary to think about how AI can be used, especially for those who want to use it in an evil way.

[CarolE]

P.S.

I am very sorry that you are losing some of your writing assignments. Technology can be a good thing but it can also be scary and sad when it affects your own self.

[Jan]

Good for you getting those blocks so close to finishing. You may even benefit from being a week behind through comments & tips from others making them ahead of you. As to the AI part of your post, it's frightening to think that 'HAL' from '2001: A Space Odyssey' is becoming a reality. I'm so sorry that your company appears to be replacing human creativity in an attempt to boost their bottom line.

[Sally]

Your blocks are so adorable - like usual! I simply love that shade of blue.

As for your writing being taken away, that seems like the sneaky, loser way out. Hopefully they will realize in time, like one of the commenters has said here, that your writing is much more preferable and worth the money!

[Wanda Hanson/exuberantcolor]

I think it would seem pretty generic and impersonal and maybe even boring to just read facts generated by AI without a personal experience influencing the info. That doesn't mean the companies won't use it if it gives them more profit at the end of the year. If they see a drop in sales maybe they will go back to humans who write interesting articles.

[Ina]

okay, on the AI front I know nothing but the little I have been reading about it. it was pointed out by one writer that AI is currently free because those companies want people(especially writers) to use it so its knowledge grows. once it has amassed enough input it will all go behind a paywall.

it's kinda like scraping our shopping patterns(google,facebook) and then selling those patterns to advertisers. they make money by us just using their products.

it is awful. :(

[Karen L]

I am in the Baby Boomer generation and when I talk to my 36 year old son, he tells me that everything will work out because new and better opportunities will come from innovation. I suspect it's a generational thing but things are uncomfortably moving way too fast!

[Donna Murdock]

I read a very informative article from a private university I trust about AI that really opened my eyes. One professor who is a believer in God said he thinks AI can be very beneficial for mankind if it is used for good. In the wrong hands it could be very harmful. I hadn't realized it is being used to write music! College students have always been able to cheat as far as AI being used to write papers. Some people have always cheated. I am worried about all the good people who, like you, may lose their jobs, but in the long run, perhaps AI will create better jobs.

[sharon]

I love your blocks, perfect summer project. As for the Ai - we are dumbing down as a society, many are not interesting in actually working (they want the paycheck) and these technologies allow for things to be cheaper/faster .... but are they better? I don't think so. I just read a novel and told my friend, "i won't pass it along, the author just never got me to love and cheer for any of the characters" I think ai might be a bit like that.