An ostrich with its head firmly planted in the sand comes to mind, this was me just a few moons ago.
Things have changed.
I attended a very nice marketing seminar where my head was politely encouraged out of my nice, familiar sandpit.
So, the drum is, as I was instructed, “if your business is not using AI, it is only a matter of time before it’s taken over by someone who is.”
This caught my attention. My initial response was scepticism: “Yeah, right.”
However, as the skilled presenter engaged my grey matter, I began to see things from a different perspective.
Given that he was trying to sell me his excellent, value-packed training program… no, not the $20,000 option, but a special price of $6,000 today—I needed to be cautious. I didn’t want to be swept away by the persuasive winds of a compelling presentation.
I promised myself not to sign anything at the seminar. By metaphorically strapping myself to the ship’s mast as I passed that treacherous passage near the mythical Sirens’ island, I managed to resist.
Whatever our feelings or wishes may be, AI is here now. As writers, we face significant changes and opportunities in various directions.
Have you ever been to a farmers’ market? I love them. I look for a freshly baked sourdough loaf, unique olives that taste heavenly, something healthy to eat while walking around, and a great cup of coffee. My wife handles the proper shopping: seedlings, vegetables, and some of that delicious cloudy apple juice.
There is inherent appeal within most of us for something authentic and real. With AI, I believe this quest for authenticity will become even more in focus.
That said, AI can provide remarkable creative freedom, opening possibilities we may never have considered.
There will be casualties, winners, and losers, both upsides and downsides. While some claim you can write and publish a book in seven minutes, that only speaks to speed, not usefulness or readability. There are programs to ‘de-AI’ writing done exclusively by a prompt and pressing enter. It shows. It has been said that AI will get more refined and ‘better.’ I am not against it, but I think the creative process needs to be at the foundation of what is being written.
That intrinsic, inexplicable human element.
With so many resources available to writers today, I encourage you to consider what is important to you, experiment with it, see where it takes your unique voice, and find your happy place. Choose the best and discard the rest—you decide what that means.
In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the hero Odysseus instructed his sailors to strap him to the ship’s mast so he could listen to the Sirens’ enchanting yet deadly song without leaping overboard. Prior to encountering the Sirens’ island, the sorceress Circe advised Odysseus to fill his sailors’ ears with beeswax to protect them from the irresistible voices that lured mariners to their doom.
As I mentioned earlier, my decision to stay focused before succumbing to the alluring voices at the AI seminar served me well.
I encourage you not to fill your ears with beeswax but to take control as the captain of your own ship. Strap yourself to the mast, the only thing that drives the vessel forward, and chart a course that best serves your readers and one that invigorates you.