“ChatGPT has been down today which means I’ve had to think for myself when writing my ABOUT ME section here on LinkedIn. I think I may have become too reliant on the speed at which it can help me structure my ADHD thoughts 😂”
^^
This right here is a post I saw on LinkedIn a little while ago and it made my heart sink.
Not because I think AI is evil (well, it might be, and it has a lot of issues, but that’s not the point right now) but because we need to stop outsourcing our brains.
Before anyone comes for me: I have ADHD. I struggle with a LOT of things. AI can be helpful for some of them. And it can indeed be a great tool for helping to structure rambling thoughts.
But here’s the problem: when we start to rely on that, it removes our ability to actually think.
I’m not kidding.
Look at how much we get our ideas and opinions fed to us already, by the media, by the people around us.
Now we’re asking machines to do even more thinking for us?
I get it; thinking is hard work and honestly on any given day I’d love to just have goldfish going round in my head because being in my head is exhausting. All the goldfish are drunk and riding motorbikes and playing Rammstein at ear-splitting volume.
But writing and thinking can be joyful when we make space for it.
Part of the writing process — which is really the thinking process — is taking our rambling thoughts and making sense of them. Picking them apart and figuring out — what did I mean by this, really? Do I believe that? Why?
And that’s not usually something AI can help with.
The only things that can make us better, more persuasive, more entertaining, more impactful writers are:
- Learning writing skills that allow us to communicate clearly and delightfully.
- Developing your voice and finding the courage to use it, proudly.
- Reading a shitload of great writing and figuring out why you like it and why it works and adapting it for yourself.
- PRACTICE.
I’m not saying don’t use AI. By all means use it. But learn to write well first, so you get the most out of it. Don’t use it to bypass thinking, and definitely don’t use it to outsource your creativity and your voice.
That’s what makes you YOU and no AI is ever going to be able to improve on that — because your thoughts and feelings and experiences change moment by moment, and being able to capture that and write about it is uniquely human and infinitely valuable.
We don’t want more information.
We want your point of view.
Your quirks.
Your story.
Your idea.
If you’d like my help with this, and you’re feeling a little disillusioned with literally everything to do with AI, marketing, and writing at the moment, my Kickstart Your Book workshop on July 23 at 4pm BST might just be the best investment you make in yourself and your business this year.
You’ll come away from it with a piece of work (or pieces of work) that you can be proud of, that will serve your writing and business aims, and with writing skills for life.
Plus it’s gonna be a lot of fun!
You in?
Tap the button for all the details and booking links.