Will AI kill my hobby?

With the emergence of ChatGPT and Large Language Models, I want to give my two cents on the topic of AI (or Machine Learning). I want to address how it is changing the playing field. Assumptions of others that will make some jobs obsolete. Writing, which I consider one of my many hobbies, is among ones that are becoming obsolete.

That's at least how some people think.

Will the AI (ML) make writing obsolete? Thing I do because it makes me feel good, helps my mental health, helps me learn and share what I've learned, what I think about certain stuff and so many other things? Short answer - No.

Now let's see why.

AI vs ML and how does LLM fit here?

I read somewhere that the proper way to address the ChatGPT and everything around it is as a Machine Learning model(s), not Artificial Intelligence. ML instead of AI.

AI actually refers to the general concept of creating human-like cognition using computer software and systems, while ML refers to only one method of doing so.^[1]

So, from now on I'm going to use AI/ML instead of just AI. Even though AI sounds way cooler.

Now, to be honest, I'm not sure what Large Language Model or LLM is as well. So, let's quickly explore that. I checked both with so popular ChatGPT and with the good ol' Wikipedia.

To paraphrase both sources in my own words, for better understanding, and learning - A Large Language Model is a type of Machine Learning model that uses deep learning algorithms to process and generate human-like language.

And deep learning is a type of machine learning that uses artificial neural networks to process and analyze large amounts of data. These neural networks are designed to mimic the way of information processing in human brains.

So, in a nutshell, they process a large amount of information and return it to you in the desired way.

Why do some people think AI/ML will kill writing?

The ease of generating text. And not just any text - text that sounds sane, and to the point. Text that sounds as if it was written by someone who knows their stuff. In this case something. In any way we want it - witty, serious, simple, funny... Imagine having that at your fingertips.

It's pretty powerful, for sure. And with us humans, being lazy, and wanting to have everything and to have it now, the whole thing around AI/ML blew up. Hopefully, it won't go out of control. 🤞

That easiness of getting content quickly, content that most of us couldn't think of, made some people assume how that AI/ML will make many things obsolete. And we all know by now that to assume makes an ass from u and me. So, I'm not going to assume anything.

Why I don't think the same?

I consider myself a person who focuses on quality rather than quantity. That's how I try and organize my life. It's also my approach to writing. I get overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of everything now and then, but I've learned to filter it, take a deep breath, and continue.

Quality of content is one of the points why I think AI/ML will not make writing obsolete. It will make writers use it in a way to improve their writing. Improve the quality of writing, and with it, the quality of content that is shared.

If you consider using it to write a school essay, or maybe a quick and easy way to write an article - sure, it can be used for that, and be quite good and undetectable. But, what about the quality of that information? What about the human touch and feel? What about you learning from it, and improving yourself?

If your main objective is quantity, go ahead and generate those "useful" articles and stay in the hustle. Machines can take it, but what about you and the people around you?

Another point that made me think AI/ML won't make writing obsolete is effort and learning from failures. It takes a lot of effort, with lots of tries and fails, to create something of high quality. If that is missing from the equation, what is the point? Where is the value in that?

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally for using AI/ML in your daily work as a way to improve yourself, and everyone and everything that surrounds you. But use it wisely.

With great power comes great responsibility.^[2]

What could AI/ML kill?

However, there is one thing that concerns me. If we're not careful enough, the use of AI/ML could destroy critical thinking.

Not long before AI/ML became a hype, critical thinking in us humans was in a bad place. Now, it's hanging by a thread. And we should all grasp it before we lose it.

There is a phrase The medium is a message coined by the Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan which is quite convenient.

We tend to focus on the message itself, instead of the medium that gave us that message. The "content" of a medium is a juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind.^[3]

We tend to focus on the obvious, the message.

What we should focus on instead is the medium itself. How can we improve ourselves through that medium? How can we regulate that medium so it fosters (critical) thinking? How can we improve that medium? How can we use that medium to make the lives of everyone on this planet better?

Read along to find out some of the ways to improve critical thinking.

Summary

As I noted above, I don't think AI/ML will make writing obsolete. The ease of the mind, clarity of thinking, and the possibility for learning that writing brings cannot be discarded and changed by AI/ML.

Will AI/ML change writing? Yes, definitely, but it will not replace it.

The key takeaways from this article you should consider every time you interact with AI/ML are listed below.

• Never assume. Check the information you get, and then check it again. In that way, you will not just check for the correctness of it, but foster your critical thinking.
• Be creative. Check different perspectives and see how they interact with each other.
• Don't rely only on AI/ML. Check by yourself, go through the content that the tool(s) generated, and see if it's any good. Check with others as well. Slow and steady wins the race.
• Question everything. This is the most difficult, as it takes time. But everything of value takes time, so get to it.

Footnotes