When to, when not to use AI for writing

“You’re off the waitlist! Time to use Notion AI”, my inbox greeted me this morning.

Whenever I sign up for a waitlist, it’s always exciting when the wait is finally over. You can finally get your hands on the new product or service that you were dying to try. This time, however, it’s different.

Notion is the editor I use for writing. They recently introduced AI-based writing. No more staring at a blank page in search of ideas. No more struggling to write a well-crafted article. You can let AI do the work for you if you’d like.

Neither I nor my family is alien to the wonders of the GPT-3 technology. We started using ChatGPT as soon as it launched two months back. From generating creative game ideas for a 10-year-old’s birthday party to simplifying a complicated Physics concept, we use it on a daily basis for one thing or the other.

Sometimes, it’s simply a soundboard. At other times, it’s a better Google. But when it comes to writing, especially for this newsletter, I’m not willing to use it.

Writing for me is not a chore. It’s thinking. It’s transferring thoughts from my mind out into the world. It’s sharing ideas with my friends and family. It’s about connecting with my readers when some of those thoughts resonate with a reader. I can not outsource that to AI.

I have to admit, it is tempting, especially when you’re struggling at the start.

When your mind is blank at the end of an exhausting day, AI can feel like a genie in a lamp. On one command, it can generate an entire blog post, a story plot, an essay, literally anything you desire. If that blog post, story plot, or essay is a chore for you, it makes sense to summon the genie.

But if you’re writing to unwind your day, talk to a friend, or connect with a loved one, you’ll need to stick to the same old 💯 pure-bred human mind ✍️.