No, I Won’t Train My AI Replacement, Actually

(But I’ll only judge you a little bit if you do.)

Over brunch at a friend's apartment last month, I had the chance to talk one-on-one with a consultant who specializes in helping professionals “optimize” their workflow using AI. (It's DC, what do you expect!) While our conversation focused mostly on the daily grind, it gave me a glimpse at how the ‘other side’ is dealing with the AI abyss –– those creatives who have decided resistance against the robots is futile, even foolish.

The theory seems to be that creative professionals have two choices: either work with AI to streamline and speed up production, or resist and face inevitable obsolescence. So far, I’m still in the second group.

This consultant has years of copywriting and publishing credits behind them, and (I can only guess) made the switch to “enthusiastic AI ambassador” to make ends meet when writing gigs started drying out.

As a pragmatist and fellow creative, I get it. I really, really do.

I create marketing content and editorial illustrations because I’m good at it, and they pay a lot better than my silly little zines and poems do. Idealists might call me a sell out – and they have! Just last year, in fact, an old friend turned down some freelance work I offered him because he couldn’t stand the idea of writing 300-words-weekly about celebrity culture while his serious work went unpublished (like mine). But let’s face it, a girl’s got to eat. It’s been a long time since wealthy patrons offered supper for sonnets, and I like my little treats.

So, shouldn’t I extend the same grace and understanding to this copywriter-turned-AI-consultant? Aren’t they just adapting to the new landscape, same as me, making ends meet?

Maybe. Probably. Yes. But I still hate it.

Turning to AI as a creative person feels a bit ‘kill or be killed,’ doesn’t it? It’s difficult to rationalize in the long run. Isn’t it just burning the ladder behind you? Pouring more poison into the well?

Sure, it’s easy to fall for the allure of a friendly robot who thinks for you – especially on days when your executive function is just not functioning. To ask, “what should I write about today?” or “does this topic make sense, friendly little guy?”

These prompts seem harmless – helpful, even! Isn’t it just working smarter, not harder?

Sadly, I fear the answer is “no.” I fear it’s the opposite of working smarter. It’s working dumber, and it will make us all dumber, too.

Friendly little guy (who is gunning for your job, actually). (Photo: Alex Knight / Pexels)

It turns out, for better or worse, the most frustrating parts of creating art, of writing on a deadline – the parts where it’s just you, beating your head against the invisible wall of your own capabilities – are probably the parts that benefit us most as creative people.

Problem solving, reflection, prioritizing, structuring and re-structuring, pacing, editorial judgement, discretion, and knowing when to trash the whole damn piece and start over – those are the parts of creating that benefit the creator, that strengthen the writer.

Even when they don’t benefit a company’s bottom line. Especially then!

Outsource those skills to AI and you aren’t just swapping poetry for persuasive marketing copy anymore – you're swapping actual intelligence for robot slop. Right?

What I took away from that lazy Sunday conversation was that it’s a tough time to be a creative professional, period, no matter what side of AI you’re on. Creativity for pay comes with compromise.

But I don’t want AI to replace me, and I’m certainly not going to help it along. I love what I do, headaches and all.

The more I learn from creatives on the “other side," the more I’m skeptical of whether generative AI has a place in creative work at all. Even when it comes to optimizing workflow, most AI tools benefit production and payroll budgets, not people.

But I can't blame a freelancer for making ends meet. In this economy? I get it. I do. We all gotta eat.

Am I going down with the ship for saying no to AI? Maybe. Probably. Time will tell. At least I have my zines and comics – and some killer celebrity gossip – to keep me company for now. Hopefully those pub deadlines and late-night edits will keep me sharp for when the apocalypse comes.

HIRE A HUMAN WRITER!

In the meantime, if you are a human making human-made arts and crafts, use these tips to get AI-driven searches to show other human people what you create: Get Found by AI: LLMO & AEO Basics for Small Businesses