To be completely fair and objective in my ‘Reclaim your writing power’ workshops I am experimenting with AI tools to test my strongly held belief that AI is making people dumber.
I wonder whether I am digging my heels in to make a point without thoroughly considering the other side of the story. I was initially trained as a journalist after all – objective and balanced reporting, not favouring one side of the story against the other until I’ve investigated.
My latest experiment is preparing an application for a short-term marketing project; I am perfect for it and could deliver it standing on my head.
This experiment is not whether or not I get this gig, but how my words stack up alongside AI in the application process.
AI was sitting underneath each answer box with a very helpful offer to assess whether I had answered the question satisfactorily.
Instead of trusting my own instinct and drawing on my own power of words developed over a 30 year career in media, marketing and communications, I asked AI.
My first attempt was my draft which I knew needed refining and editing but thought I would see how It felt. AI gave me half a page of suggestions to improve. The first point was fair, as it was around tightening up my language, being more succinct. After that my brain disengaged and I wrote my revision based on exactly what it told me I should do.
Version 2 followed AI’s instructions to the letter. When I asked if version two met the criteria, it gave me another half page of instructions on how to improve.
Two hours and five revisions later my 200-word answer to one basic question was so convoluted and confusing that even I had forgotten who I was, what I did well, and why I was perfect for this job.
Feeling desperate and helpless, I started questioning whether I should even be applying at all when I obviously seemed to have no idea how to sell myself after 30 years of successfully establishing and running my own marketing company.
How could I have achieved such incredible results for my clients and projects, been in a successful business for all these years, established a reputation as ‘the word artist and the real deal’ if I couldn’t even answer basic questions about myself?
I had lunch and took a nature break from the word hell I had spiraled into that was basing my self-worth on AI ‘wisdom’.
It’s amazing what a full stomach and a short walk outside can do to perspective. I returned to the task I had set with renewed determination and stubbornness.
Every time I answered a question I ignored the bright flashing prompt to let AI review my answer. This was no longer about whether or not I wanted this project, it was about using my own brain to answer the questions.
Free of the judgement, confusion and self-doubt created by computer generated model that steals words from so many places it couldn’t even tell you how it arrives at its own conclusions, I tapped into my word power and reclaimed my brain.
I was clear and concise. I was back to directing my own story about who I am, what I do, how I do it and why I’m perfect for this project. I became fully engaged and enthusiastic. What initially started out as an experiment turned into the real thing.
I had already spent so much time on it that it felt like a complete waste without following it through to the end.
Ten minutes later I pressed submit.
The lesson?
Using AI was a complete brain drain and waste of several hours of my day on something I could have created in 30 minutes. AI squashed my instinct and stomped on my ability to find the right words.
This has reaffirmed my stance on whether people should use AI to communicate and express themselves.
Don’t.
Don’t give away the power you have in your own brain to a machine who couldn’t care less if you get the job or not. Reclaim your brain, reclaim your writing power.