The presenter of the webinar bragged about her use of ChatGPT. “I’ve spent hours teaching this AI tool how to write like me.”
She encouraged the rest of us to invest in her program, but I declined. As a writing coach, I wanted to ask, “Instead of spending hours teaching ChatGPT how to sound like you, why not use those hours to write your own words, finish your book, or invest in your own creativity?”
I fully admit that AI is useful for a quick research question, the completion of an outline, or book cover ideas. But it cannot convey emotions nor can it completely adopt the voice of a creative writer. Its very essence — even its name — defies the authenticity true writers seek to convey.
As part of the last two elections, we constantly heard the term ‘fake news.’ Usually, it described anything spoken or written that did not follow the ideology of a certain candidate.
The very term ‘artificial’ implies a fake, something that tries to copy an original creation. So we could label AI as ‘fake knowledge.’ Its root is a jaded lie dressed in efficient clothing. Its source hides behind the shadows of internet coding which can then become online plagiarism.
Like anything that ‘claims’ to be truthful, AI carries side effects. The more we begin to depend on it — like a drug — the side effects will become more pronounced. Certainly leading to the death of more jobs in the creative arts. Even Geoffrey Hinton, one of the earliest proponents and creators of the AI algorithm has expressed concerns, “It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things.” (NBC News, May 2023).
Besides the intellectual and creative theft, we know AI is already a threat. Scammers use it to become more proficient in language and more skilled in stealing identities and money. The global dangers are immense as AI begins to infiltrate governments and defense departments. One of my greatest concerns is how AI may begin to become its own religion, creating a new form of spiritual abuse.
As a coach and former teacher, I can also see how the properties of AI encourage laziness. Why sit down with pen and paper or keyboard and create an essay, a blog post, or a book when you can simply plug in a question and let the online faker do it for you?
The work ethic has already been dampened in our easy-to-live Western world. Folks in third-world countries still know how to work with their hands and use their brains for problem solving. They are actually smarter and more mentally healthy than their richer neighbors. Because challenges force us to think.
As a writer, I am grateful for the internet and the far-reaching impact it can bring to my words. I also am aware of its dangers. AI offers the same good and bad scenario, so we need to be careful of what we embrace and how we use it.
For now, I plan to cheer for those who are fighting for their intellectual and creative rights. And my next book will include the following phrase on the copyright page. I encourage all my clients to do the same. “This book was written in its entirety by a human being — RJ Thesman. It does not include the false words designed by a digital form of fake creativity.”
©2025 RJ Thesman – All Rights Reserved
Image Attribution: ribkhan / Pixabay
My newest book was written in its entirety by a human being — me. Check it out here: Sustain Us, Oh Lord: Finding Strength When Life is Hard.
AI has neither a soul nor originality. It can compile informational pieces that sound full of incitement and are historically insightful. AI can weigh pros and cons, and even draw conclusions based on evidence. But it does not have a spiritual or philosophical core. It cannot love. It cannot care about its human creators. It has no emotional center.
Absolutely true.
Good job, Rebecca. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.