Frank, And think of how much easier it all would have been with AI assist! Nick, Can you ask George to give you the first 20 pages of a memoir of a boy growing up in New Mexico in <insert appropriate year range>, including the first few years and every summer until the boy went to university? Be sure to mention that the boy moved on from his rural beginnings to a much more worldly and high-tech career. Tell it you would like the tone to be "comfortingly familiar" for those who might have had similar experiences. Just for kicks, please also name the boy "Frank" :- )
Best, Eric <echar...@american.edu> On Sat, Jan 25, 2025 at 9:49 PM Frank Wimberly <wimber...@gmail.com> wrote: > 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. If my using AI is a problem for anyone >>> here, feel free to ask me to leave the group or simply remove me from the >>> group. >>> >>> Note: I use AI to assist my writing. >>> .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. >>> / ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. >>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >>> Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom >>> https://bit.ly/virtualfriam >>> to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >>> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ >>> archives: 5/2017 thru present >>> https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ >>> 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ >>> >>> >>> .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. >>> / ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. >>> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >>> Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom >>> https://bit.ly/virtualfriam >>> to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >>> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ >>> archives: 5/2017 thru present >>> https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ >>> 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ >>> >> .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. / >> ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. >> FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv >> Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom >> https://bit.ly/virtualfriam >> to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com >> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ >> archives: 5/2017 thru present >> https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ >> 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ >> > .- .-.. .-.. / ..-. --- --- - . .-. ... / .- .-. . / .-- .-. --- -. --. / > ... --- -- . / .- .-. . / ..- ... . ..-. ..- .-.. > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Fridays 9a-12p Friday St. Johns Cafe / Thursdays 9a-12p Zoom > https://bit.ly/virtualfriam > to (un)subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com > FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ > archives: 5/2017 thru present > https://redfish.com/pipermail/friam_redfish.com/ > 1/2003 thru 6/2021 http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/ >
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