AI (Artificial Intelligence) vs. HI (Human Ingenuity)

Since its inception, AI (Artificial Intelligence) has become a hot topic among people who support what it does and people who don't. Many embrace and oppose what AI can do. Among those who embrace it, they see endless possibilities. As for those who oppose AI, they see a domino effect of consequences.

Yes, I took this from what was shown as image examples when I input AI vs. Human.

Weighing AI Pros and Cons

Then there are folks in the middle who see the pros and cons of AI. AI's pros include speeding up certain processes, much like how calculators figure out math equations faster than the human brain can answer. In this regard, AI isn't exactly new technology. It's been around for a long time.

As for the cons surrounding AI, these include stripping away the human touch, especially when it comes to content creation. In many cases, artists and writers have relied on AI programs to help them fix errors and refine what they've done. Among them, a few have perhaps taken their content-creating practices a bit too far by relying too heavily on AI to do all the real work while they sit back and take the credit.

Because of this, AI verifying programs have popped up, challenging the authenticity of a person's work. While this seems like a good idea to identify plagiarism and other unethical practices among creators, this isn't exactly a 100% foolproof method to discern the difference between authentic content engineered by human ingenuity and what's been deemed AI'd.

Content Creation Challenges: AI Favoritism

Thanks to too much reliance on AI technology, content creators face two main challenges that are affecting their ability to "stay relevant" due to what's become a disturbing trend of AI favoritism. Even among the best artists, designers, and writers, they're now facing increasing criticism from the very people they work for. This even includes creators who've worked with their clients for years.

Granted, there is a disturbing trend among freelance content creators is the heavy reliance on AI to reduce common mistakes (like spelling and grammar). It's also used to save a bit of time, especially when it comes to proofreading their work to make sure all is kosher. This I know all too well because I admit to my own guilt of doing such a thing.

However, speaking as a writer, that's as far as I went. Ever since grade school, I've been a stickler for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. While I may not be perfect, I'm now personally on the receiving end of unjust criticism against my work by clients I have written for. And, yes, that's what's fueling my decision to write this blog.

AI Watermarking Pros and Cons

While some companies are relying more heavily on AI verification methods to determine a content creator's authenticity, many are also abandoning what they're quickly discovering is a deeply flawed system. What the folks who are relying on AI watermarking fail to grasp is these programs have been engineered by content creators who were recruited to input material to breathe life into AI programs like ChatGPT. I know because I was one of them. So, it comes as no surprise much of my written content is flagged as "potentially AI-generated" because I was among the contributors.

So, what is AI watermarking? It's a system used by AI verification programs to "stamp" on a content creator's work a warning label, so to speak, that their work isn't as authentic as it seems. While this may seem like a good idea to identify plagiarism (content copied and pasted from someone else), it isn't a perfect one. This is especially true when two or more people are covering similar content. What AI (and those who use it too much) fail to recognize is each person is going to have a personal spin on the same subject.

For example, one writer is writing a review for a new video game. At the same time, so is another. They'll each share what the game is about before going into what they think of it. Usually, their articles will be accompanied with pictures and screenshots as these are excellent tools to captivate their targeted audience. What's going to here is if both writers are contracted by clients who blindly rely on AI verification tools without question, they could be on the receiving end of criticism they don't deserve. Or, at the very least, the second writer who submitted their content shortly after the first one did, will be the victim of a judgment call they don't deserve.

AI Verification Challenge

Now, among you reading this blog, I challenge you to verify it with an AI verification tool. Try Plagarism Checker and see what kind of score you get from this blog alone. At the timing of my writing of this blog, this is the score I got:

By habit, I went back and fixed certain spelling errors I personally noticed and not just because they were underlined. In fact, this blog alone has many lines underneath it I've purposely chosen to ignore. See for yourself, as I've taken a screenshot of what I've done a few moments ago:

AI = Assumptions vs. Intelligence

Regardless of the AI program, it's only as effective as the engineers who developed it. Believe it or not, AI has more human flaws poured into it than perfection. Especially with content creation, AI is more guilty of copyright violations than the humans who pour their energy into whatever their passion happens to be.

AI's marks of approval and red flags stem from suggestions based on whatever information has been fed into it. It's going to react the same way we treat ourselves or whatever possessions we have. For instance, if we eat nothing but junk food, our bodies eventually become too unhealthy to function properly. If we fail to exercise preventative maintenance on what we use (like computers and vehicles), over time their functionality suffers as a result. When neglected for too long, they die.

AI programs are no different, no matter what it is. They're only as efficient as the crew behind their creation (and maintenance). With that being said, nobody in their right mind should rely on these programs as God-given gospels. They're not this at all. In fact, more people (including schools, universities, and corporations) are realizing that AI isn't nearly as intelligent as we've all been led to believe.

The Human Touch

Even with a 100% human touch, AI verification programs won't acknowledge this. You've already seen the screenshot I shared earlier. From start to finish, I wrote this blog on my own. All along, there has been an AI tool icon following me as I write. I chose to ignore it because I want nothing to do with it, even if it means this blog has some errors along the way.

That's actually the point. AI takes away the human element. Even there, as I've stayed true to my human self writing this blog, the AI verification tools continue to insist I wasn't authentic. This I know is 100% B.S.

AI's Future

Like it or not, AI is here to stay. There will be unavoidable pros and cons with artificial intelligence, no matter what we do with it. Hopefully, more people will realize we're better off relying on human ingenuity instead of AI's attempt to correct and criticize every little thing we say and do.

Humanity's future hangs in the balance because of AI. Those who rely on it too much seem to forget what makes the human race great. These folks are causing more harm than good, which is counter-productive to whatever goal it is they think they're achieving.