I Won't Read It

When my children were little I used to wish I had a few pre-loaded buttons that I could activate as needed.

One would have been "What do you say?" Another would have been "Was that a nice thing to do?" I'm sure there were others, because I know that my toddlers must have has such a button that they invisibly pressed, ejecting "Why?" into every waking hour.

Such persistence is still alive and well in the world, especially in the various Vocal comment sections of Vocal announcements and on Vocal Top Stories.

The buttons just eject a written statement instead of an auditory murmuring. Examples from just today:

• "Nice"
• "Engage."
• "Support, please" (at least it is a polite button)
• "I'm new"
• "Visit"
• "Interesting Story"
• "Read me"
• "read mine"
• "Interesting"
• "Wonderful"
• "Read my stories too"

Now a comment is a comment is a comment and this isn't about that.

This IS about what I find 9 times out of 10 when I go to look at the commenter's profile. 9 times out of 10 the bulk of the content is AI-generated.

Note: I am THRILLED when Vocal writers properly attribute AI generated content correctly. If a profile had such self-identified content I do look to see if they have any other content available. Many, but not always, those unidentified items are also AI-generated.

'But HOW can you say that????!!!" OK- if you come for me first read the quantity of content I've written on identifying AI generated content. Also: I said what I said.

Now, here's the thing; I do not have time to read content that was created by AI. I won't read it here on Vocal. I hide the fake 'History' Facebook content that pops up. I don't skim the drek that appears at the top of a Google search. I've disabled it in my Gmail, won't use the AI notetaker in Zoom.

Heck: I even found a new reason not to read James Frey. (You know James Frey, don't you? A one time celebrated author, his book A Million Little Pieces was chosen as an early Oprah's Book Club darling back when her weekday show ruled RULED! the reading desires of Americans from coast to coast!

THAT James Frey? He wrote an autobiography [that means non-fiction} of his debased life and subsequent turnaround from addiction and other baddy stuff. Except it WASN'T non-fiction! It was made up. LIES!!!!! He lied to the world, lied to his editor and publisher... and lied to OPRAH!), anywho THAT James Frey just published a new book.

I'm sure he learned his lesson, right? To quote Samantha Sevens of Bewitched fame: "WEEEEELLLLLLLLLLL..." You tell me. Frey made this note on his book, as he discussed in an interview:

This is what I noted the first time I used AI: “Artificial Intelligence was used in both the research and composition of this book. I have asked the AI to mimic my writing style so you, the reader, will not be able to tell what was written by me and what was generated by the AI. I am also not going to tell you or make any indication of what was written by me and what was generated by the AI. It was I, the writer, who decided what words were put on to the pages of this book, so despite the contributions of the AI, I still consider every word of this book to be mine. And I don’t care if you don’t.

So la di da. Famous author. Ticked off Oprah and lived to write again. (And again and again and again) So AI MUST be good, right?

Well I don't think churning out AI-generated content in a field where creativity and originality reigns is a good idea. No. Even if you do label it. Would I use it myself in my writing? Tell it to write in the style of Judey? Maybe if I were to write some tyupe of assembly instructions, like for an end table or wall shelf. Sure. I could see that happening as I never read those without rolling my eyes. I could do that.

But for pleasure? At a time in my life when the boredom of childhood has been revealed to me as the folly I never understood it to be; each day is precious. Each choice is a trade of a finite thing [TIME] for an experience.

I don't have time to waste on James Frey. I won't read his AI stuff.

And I won't read yours.