I AM ANGRY. I WASTED MY TIME!!!

Thank you for writing this piece. I couldn't agree with you more about the AI in stories, especially when people are not being honest about it. They probably are not being honest because they know that the use of AI would put many readers off, because we want real human-written stories, not AI. So again, thanks for expressing what many of us feel! And I agree that using AI to create images is fine, because this is not an art platform. If it were, it would be a different matter.

Thank you and I, too, am disgusted when I publish authentic work, but I am mere cellophane as nobody seems to ever even see, much less, read anything I write, except for you. You gave me hope that I was worthy. When challenge winners are also AI generated writers, writing becomes unimportant and unnecessary. We simply can’t let that happen because then we’re only rewarding robots with no human feelings or experiences. Thank you for speaking out with your very human voice which is always true and beautiful.

I love the anger of this piece. It is raw and authentic. I share your anger. AI has stolen some of my income as an academic proofreader, where I do more than check spelling and grammar, but offer human insight as to what is strong in your argument and where you have left the audience feeling flat. AI has also literally stolen my work to train its models. My human sweat and tears in my articles about domestic abuse and intersectional inequality have formed part of the training for robots who never sat at the side of a focus group listening to pain and survival or offered a tissue to a worn out woman. So thank you for articulating anger. As far as I'm aware a robot will never feel this way.

I too share the dubious feelings about AI writing. I appreciate its prompts for human imagination, but AI has never loved and lost, frozen in winter and burned in summer, watched youth change to age in the mirror.

Wow I just had to read another piece of yours, I really feel your voice and I loved this, You have inspired me on my next piece Ease into Dyslexia, someone who struggles with dyslexia I only use AI for spelling errors here and there, most of the time I am reading over my working a fair few times that is it, I like to work harder and prove to myself I can do it if that makes sense not easy but it is worth it because you know you did it yourself and using our brains with our writing is part of being a writer, I mean there was no AI when I done my masters at Brunel in creative writing, but AI writing a story that's insane that just can not be accepted, really feel you here. Thank you for sharing what I believe most of us feel because writing our work is not an easy task at all, but we love it.

You authentically on a page, no apologies...THAT is the writing I relish, and there is no chance of AI replication here because IT doesn't...have...a...brain. My disgust of it knows no bounds. You are correct. Such persons masquerading beneath AI are a stain, but they do not possess the power and wherewithal to taint us with their brush unless we surrender our respective creative art studios. They want to blur the lines, make us obsolete, but it's impossible. The only thing they got...is to make us doubt and believe that it is...possible. Enjoyed your story so much, I will be reading it multiple times 😍

Speak on it Sis! 💪🏾I totally agree with your stance! ☺️🫶🏾

I have a bit of a different view on this. I do believe AI has its place. But let me first be clear that it should never be used to write a story that you take credit for writing. However, AI does have practical uses - writing professional business letters, propositions, terms of agreement, sales pitch, informational guides, proofreading, and other non-creative mundane sort of writing. But creative stories or poems should not be masked to look like they were human written - that is wrong. AI does not scare me. I like to think that I am a forward moving individual who accepts and adapts to the new technology of the day. I can only imagine how some people reacted to the lightbulb replacing candles or oil lanterns. I completely get what you are saying Caitlin and I agree with you completely. Happy writing and I look forward to reading your 100% human written stories and poems -

I think you're right to be angry. I'm always curious how these AI detectors work (aren't they AI as well?) because I sent in some work for publications on Medium and Elephant Journal, and they came back partially and one even as 100% AI written in their detector. I was so pissed. I worked for days on my writing and then it comes back as AI generated... and then I go and read some stuff from others (really successful writers) on these pubs that just screams AI (don't even need a detector to guess) and they are allowed. I just can't wrap my head around it, or how to work with this or how to co-exist with it.

The whole AI thing is absolutely disgusting!! But please forgive me if my biggest pleasure in this story is you losing it on them!! My sweet, uber kind Caitlin lost it on the idiots that absolutely deserve it and I am all here for it!!

I don’t respect people who use AI to write. I’m certain (because stats dictates it) there are specific persons for whom it is a legitimate disability aid. But I’m also certain those people are few and far between. The creative act is one of the most pure and human things we can do, and it’s one of the first things we experience as we grow. The second children learn they can smear food, it’s all over. They’re an artist in training now. AI steals that from us and I don’t think I’ll ever forgive the soulless scammers who try to “make it big” of plagiarized work from an LLM

Wow, 25 comments - well done. It was a great story, and to think you were doubting yourself a couple of weeks ago. Well done Caitlin.

Beautifully stated! 😇

Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊

I don't blame you for being angey and thank you for reporting these writers. That benefits all of us.

Dear Cc ~ I hear you—But I’m only ‘Human’ in my own way..! -Jj-

Caitlin, I LOVE your honesty and I agree with you 100%. I don't like anything artificial, not even sweeteners...so FAKE.

Bless you, Caitlin, for addressing this issue! This should be a platform where we express our creativity rather than take credit for a computer’s algorithm or even worse use it to read and comment on other creators work. Loved the passion and sincerity of your essay!

Your anger is justified and I am sure that other Vocal creators appreciate that you've taken the time to report these AI-written stories to the editors who miss them with everything else they have going on. I used to be a copywriter and AI was a tool we would use frequently but I never liked it. I did because it was required for some of my clients but I'd grind my teeth the entire time and my higher ups knew how I felt about it.

I really appreciate that you wrote this, Caitlin. As an editor on another platform, I encounter AI-written content often, and when I do, the writer is automatically banned from the publication. AI detectors are tricky, making a heavy load for editors. The crazy thing is that we clearly outline rules in our publication guidelines, yet some people insist on trying to get over on us. Sigh... I stand with you and think you are an amazing, supportive person in our Vocal community. I am here to read human words created by humans, not machinery garble.

It is all of our responsibility to fight the intrusion of machine work masquerading as human work.

AI is the nemesis of the creator. We are all told it is necessary and technical development; I am not so sure. I guess there are people out there who don't care whether something is expressed with security and heart, as opposed to some AI-generated nicety. I am not one. I use AI-generated images to create an image that is closer to what I wanted it to reflect. Their skill in creating images depends on what you put in and how you describe it. Some of my images are crazy - three arms or legs, more than one eye, when you clearly say" a single person' and so on. Your writing is way to deep and meaningful. No AI generator could copy that.

I totally understand your anger. I feel AI should have never even been allowed in Vocal. But even if it wasn't, I don't think it'll stop these AI frauds from using it to generate poems/stories. It's just so frustrating. I hope writing this helped you with your emotions. Sending you lots of love and hugs ❤️

Yeah, AI detectors can't really be trusted. They can just as easily say something human made is completely AI while saying something completely AI is human written. DX

I like to think that artificial intelligence will never dominate over us, although I'm pretty sure a few people on here use it. When I read the ways to tell if it's being used, a couple of my writing styles were in there- I don't use it at all. I'm sure some of the photos I've used were generated, but I frown upon AI myself. Thank you for this reflection of your thoughts- I think we are all in agreement.!