I wrote a memoir about my life in New Mexico including the first few years and every summer until I went to university. People who read it who know me say they can hear my voice when they read it. LLMs were not available when I wrote it.
Frank --- Frank C. Wimberly 140 Calle Ojo Feliz, Santa Fe, NM 87505 505 670-9918 Santa Fe, NM On Sat, Jan 25, 2025, 7:24 PM Pieter Steenekamp <piet...@randcontrols.co.za> wrote: > DaveW, > > Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate what you said. > > For me, the key thing is to keep our human qualities. I like using AI to > help make us better, like when it helps with writing. > > You mentioned that AI can't make writing more eloquent. I agree with this > for people who are already good writers. I've read some autobiographies > where the writing is so beautiful, it's like AI couldn't match that. But > there are others who might need help. AI could make writing easier and > better for those who have good ideas but struggle with words. > > I just want to clarify one point from your message about "voice." When AI > helps with writing, it's important that the words still sound like me, not > like a machine. I saw your point about my writing sounding like ChatGPT > instead of me, which wasn't my goal. I aim for AI to enhance my voice, not > replace it. > > Improving oneself and one's writing is a great goal. We've all had moments > where we wish we could express something as well as someone else. If AI can > help make my writing sound better or clearer, I think that's good to use. > > But I agree with you, AI might not make writing more 'eloquent,' just more > precise or detailed. So, I would use AI tools carefully, making sure they > enhance my own style, not define it. > > Pieter > > Note: I use AI to assist my writing. > > On Sat, 25 Jan 2025 at 17:58, Prof David West <profw...@fastmail.fm> > wrote: > >> Pieter, >> >> I applaud your use of AI to improve your writing. It is my belief that the* >> "proper"* use of AI, along with computers and computing tools in >> general, is to *augment* human abilities ala Vannevar Bush's "how we may >> think," Douglas Englebart's institute, Alan Kay's dynabook, (the fictional >> Young Ladies Primer of Stephenson's *Diamond Age*), and Jobs' "bicycle >> for the mind." >> >> This is in direct contrast, it seems, to the sentiments of most on this >> list who think that AI should, and inevitably will, replace "inferior" >> human intelligence. >> >> I am curious if you see any question of "voice" in the AI improved text? >> For example, I took glen's question as nothing more than an observation >> that the "voice" of your post seemed to that of ChatGPT instead of >> Pieter—definitely not *"augmented-Pieter,"* as I believe you intended it >> to be. >> >> All of us respect Pieter and value his words. If, however, we are >> confused by "voice." it raises issues of how much consideration the writing >> should receive and how we should respond. >> >> Improving oneself, and one's writing, is a great goal. And we all have >> experienced examples of "I wish I had said that," or "I wish I had >> expressed that idea as eloquently as she did." If AI tools provide wordings >> that you admire, or feel express your ideas more eloquently, you should >> adopt them. >> >> Personally, I do not believe that AI can ever provide more 'eloquent' >> writing, only more precise or more complete writing. So I, again, strictly >> personally, would eschew using such tools as currently constructed. I would >> however, if I had the chance, use Richard Gabriel's tool, *Inkwell*, >> which, BTW, he emphatically states is not an AI, to enhance my writing. But >> Richard is primarily a poet and writer, despite his education and career in >> AI and computing, and he created *Inkwell* expressly to be a writer's >> assistant. I have tremendous respect for Richard's writing and I know he >> uses Inkwell to enhance his intrinsic abilities. >> >> davew >> >> >> On Fri, Jan 24, 2025, at 10:48 PM, Pieter Steenekamp wrote: >> >> I was surprised by the comment "I hope I'm wrong. But that text reads >> like it was generated by an LLM" At first, I just thought, 'so what?' But >> it got me thinking about how AI changes how we communicate, which is really >> important to me. >> >> Here's my main point: >> >> I think it's okay to use others, whether they're people or AI, to help me >> communicate better, as long as the ideas are mine and I'm not copying >> someone else's work. If using AI to polish my words bothers someone, we can >> talk about it. >> >> Here's some background on why I think this way: >> >> a) Learning to communicate is one of the best things you can take away >> from school or university. For example if a student is supposed to use her >> own words in an assignment, then using AI or asking someone else to rewrite >> is wrong. >> >> b) In the workplace, we've always had people like personal assistants or >> speech writers. I see using AI in the same way, just a modern tool to help. >> >> c) Writing assistance used to be expensive because you needed people. >> Now, AI can do the job for free, and that doesn't go against what I believe >> is right. >> >> d) Your writing should still sound like you. So, I write something first, >> then ask AI to make it better but keep it simple and in my style, like, >> 'Please make this sound better but keep it easy to understand.' I now >> realise I violated this previously and will adapt. >> >> e) Maybe it's good, depending on the situation, to mention when you've >> used AI in your writing. >> >> f) Here's a funny story: I used AI to help write a message for an AI >> workshop, and someone complimented the writing so much they suggested I >> should be a writer instead! >> >> My bottom line: >> >> I plan to add a note at the end of each message in this group saying I >> used AI to help with my writing. 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