This articulated something deep I've never been able to put into words. And I'll be the first to raise my hand as someone who's used AI to sound more "put together". To be a "better writer". But the truth is, my actual voice - the one that is disjointed and ADD and flows where it wants to has more teeth, more heart, and more connectivity than the other.
After my brief stint with GPT's, I am returning to writing everything myself. The time saved wasn't worth the loss in depth.
I resonated deeply with your food example. It's just true.
I also want to state that I open (and read) your newsletter every week, not just because it speaks to me. But because I know you wrote it. And I know your thoughts about things are going to spark more thoughts, and I want that. It's real. It's you. It took time. And that is becoming the most valuable thing.
Thank you, Christel. I, too, have tried using LLMs when they first came out. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about, so I don't want to paint myself as some martyr when I'm not. But I found that they just can't express my words the way I can express my words.
You’re absolutely right, and this is why I teach finding what’s unique about you FIRST, before building anything, because we all have something to offer if we can just clear the fog and take some time to explore it. Bringing our unique skills to the farmer’s markets is what will actually make us AI proof, and I think people are missing that point, probably because they are mindlessly scrolling. 😶🌫️
AI doesn't have free will. Its just statistics underneath. It records patterns and then regurgitates it. AI cannot have any creativity because it's built that way. That's why a post written entirely by you, sounds different, because when you write a long form post, your entire personality comes out in it. AI can't do that.
I look it at like the early days of YouTube where every stupid video someone could capture was posted and it went around the globe so you got Asian stuff in the am because that was what was trending last. We created algos that found and amplified trending things that tiered the way content got shown - garbage to the bottom, goodness got exposed more. The algo engines slides and dives this to no end and here we are.
The ai algo slop coming now is avg people creating avg content (that the LLm thinks most people want - making it avg) and accepting that it’s “great” by their own standards and publishing means a lot of suck. Goodness roses to the top though. The IRL/“human-designed/ algo produced” renaissance is coming - it’s alive and well in the edges and seemingly in Substack if you look hard enough.
For sure it's there. You've just gotta find it. I'm so frustrated with YouTube. Every time I click into a travel video, it's now just some B-roll with an AI voice over it. Lame.
Justin- this is happening. People who used to write are letting AI write for them. At the same time, new people who did not write are letting AI write for them. The resulting slop is hard to sift through. I have given up. When I see it I don't continue. Curating what is worth reading is more important than ever. I suspect that over time the tolerance for AI writing will diminsh increasingly.
Yeah. I'm hoping to find corners of the internet that are interesting where I can continue to go down rabbit holes. For me, now, it tends to be in private WhatsApp groups.
Interesting… but the only places that will be immune are places where people are known and reputation is dependent on individual thinking. Do WhatsApp groups qualify? I don’t think so…
Only if you don't curate them well. I don't mean random WhatsApp groups. I mean I've created small groups with friends who enjoy certain topics. And we share interesting pieces of content that we've come across that align with those topical areas. It's almost like a small 2019 version of Twitter (when discovering cool, organic content was easy).
This is such an important piece Justin. I wish I knew where all of the creatives have gone. As you say it’s harder and harder to find them. But these are the ones who are going to stand out from all the mediocrity.
Yes and yes and how confounding it is that for so many people, humans-being-creators is a difference that doesn’t seem to make a difference - either because discernment takes too much effort, or because what seems to me as super basic humanistic ethics are just meh. And I don’t know how much value there is, if any, in trying to change opinions. Thus your point about “going underground”. But I’m also interested in another, upstream vector, one that I guess reflects relentless optimism? It’s rooted in the imperative of human connection and some basic pillars of “non-artificial intelligence”. Rather than blathering here, lemme know if you have any interest in hearing more or connecting. Thanks for your work!!!
Great piece, Justin. I could see a scenario where at some point in the future there might be a need for people to have a willingness to pay a premium for verified, human-created content. Substack might be a great platform for this (I'm new here so I haven't gone too deep yet), but for creators the problem, like you mentioned, seems to be that you still have to play to an algorithm to build any kind of substantial audience that would make Substack a viable earning opportunity. And that sounds like a recipe for more slop.
I also wonder if a rebirth of print would be supported by the public? It would be amazing to see a revitalized industry of niche books and magazines. I have been reading about how there has been an uptick in publishers looking for shorter books--less than 50,000 words (under 200 pages) and I wonder if that's a reaction to how we've been trained for short attention spans but also a signal that we still crave deeper, more thoughtful content?
Perhaps you don’t have to go underground at all. Boldly speak the truth, even on those platforms where you think nobody is currently listening. Start the revolution, Justin ~ you did it before.
More content than ever. Less that feels human. The best writing I find now is in newsletters and small communities where people actually care about the craft.
Love the comparison to fast food. Completely brings your hypothesis to life. And inspires me to write more.
Where do we find creativity? Off these commercialized platforms. Even Substack has lost its appeal for me. We find creativity through community. Face to face with humans. Going back to pure connection. Experiencing the moments that matter and being in the moment. It's all about connecting in the raw. Where you feel something and aren't bombarded with opinions of others that are just parroting. The commotion of voices that can't think for themselves, that spout unoriginal or hateful or meaningless words is just unbearable at times. AI just exacerbates it. So how do we build these communities of people who want pure connection?
Hi Justin, I’m new to Substack but this article is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to find on the platform. An authentic piece, thoughtfully written. Thank you. It gives me hope that there might be more engaging content out there on Substack that is worth taking a little time to read.
For me, the way I am creating and engaging with humans is in a private Skool community I created where everyone is a paying member, and I made the rule that AI must be used sparingly. Since the community is paid, it gives me the motivation to show up and create really useful stuff for the members while also challenging them to bring their best selves, not just AI-generated stuff.
James Clear talks about the idea of "If you can't win in a game, you create your own." I think that's what people are going to start doing with their own small paid communities around particular niches.
This articulated something deep I've never been able to put into words. And I'll be the first to raise my hand as someone who's used AI to sound more "put together". To be a "better writer". But the truth is, my actual voice - the one that is disjointed and ADD and flows where it wants to has more teeth, more heart, and more connectivity than the other.
After my brief stint with GPT's, I am returning to writing everything myself. The time saved wasn't worth the loss in depth.
I resonated deeply with your food example. It's just true.
I also want to state that I open (and read) your newsletter every week, not just because it speaks to me. But because I know you wrote it. And I know your thoughts about things are going to spark more thoughts, and I want that. It's real. It's you. It took time. And that is becoming the most valuable thing.
Thank you, Christel. I, too, have tried using LLMs when they first came out. I wanted to see what the fuss was all about, so I don't want to paint myself as some martyr when I'm not. But I found that they just can't express my words the way I can express my words.
Preach. 🙌🏻
struggling with the same. this is why i'm mostly on substack, as it's the most authentic by far.
i feel like a new social app (blending IG, LinkedIn, Substack, etc.) completely free of AI based in real authenticity and integrity will launch soon.
I agree that Substack is where most of the creativity is living now...
yeah i literally can’t even read comments on my posts on linkedin anymore. 🫠
You’re absolutely right, and this is why I teach finding what’s unique about you FIRST, before building anything, because we all have something to offer if we can just clear the fog and take some time to explore it. Bringing our unique skills to the farmer’s markets is what will actually make us AI proof, and I think people are missing that point, probably because they are mindlessly scrolling. 😶🌫️
Well said, Melody. Discover who you are and pure writing becomes a lot easier.
AI doesn't have free will. Its just statistics underneath. It records patterns and then regurgitates it. AI cannot have any creativity because it's built that way. That's why a post written entirely by you, sounds different, because when you write a long form post, your entire personality comes out in it. AI can't do that.
Point well made. I've certainly played around with it. It just sounds like everything else...and everyone else.
I look it at like the early days of YouTube where every stupid video someone could capture was posted and it went around the globe so you got Asian stuff in the am because that was what was trending last. We created algos that found and amplified trending things that tiered the way content got shown - garbage to the bottom, goodness got exposed more. The algo engines slides and dives this to no end and here we are.
The ai algo slop coming now is avg people creating avg content (that the LLm thinks most people want - making it avg) and accepting that it’s “great” by their own standards and publishing means a lot of suck. Goodness roses to the top though. The IRL/“human-designed/ algo produced” renaissance is coming - it’s alive and well in the edges and seemingly in Substack if you look hard enough.
For sure it's there. You've just gotta find it. I'm so frustrated with YouTube. Every time I click into a travel video, it's now just some B-roll with an AI voice over it. Lame.
So. Many. Human. Typos! Arg! Why can’t I edit!
Justin- this is happening. People who used to write are letting AI write for them. At the same time, new people who did not write are letting AI write for them. The resulting slop is hard to sift through. I have given up. When I see it I don't continue. Curating what is worth reading is more important than ever. I suspect that over time the tolerance for AI writing will diminsh increasingly.
Yeah. I'm hoping to find corners of the internet that are interesting where I can continue to go down rabbit holes. For me, now, it tends to be in private WhatsApp groups.
Interesting… but the only places that will be immune are places where people are known and reputation is dependent on individual thinking. Do WhatsApp groups qualify? I don’t think so…
Only if you don't curate them well. I don't mean random WhatsApp groups. I mean I've created small groups with friends who enjoy certain topics. And we share interesting pieces of content that we've come across that align with those topical areas. It's almost like a small 2019 version of Twitter (when discovering cool, organic content was easy).
That’s a great idea!
This is such an important piece Justin. I wish I knew where all of the creatives have gone. As you say it’s harder and harder to find them. But these are the ones who are going to stand out from all the mediocrity.
They still exist, thankfully. I find that Substack is a pretty good place to find them!
Agreed. Substack is still the best place to find them but it’s getting more difficult.
I agree. People will move to find real creativity. That is why many people moved to Substack.
I do feel like this is one place where creativity continues to thrive, tbh.
Yes and yes and how confounding it is that for so many people, humans-being-creators is a difference that doesn’t seem to make a difference - either because discernment takes too much effort, or because what seems to me as super basic humanistic ethics are just meh. And I don’t know how much value there is, if any, in trying to change opinions. Thus your point about “going underground”. But I’m also interested in another, upstream vector, one that I guess reflects relentless optimism? It’s rooted in the imperative of human connection and some basic pillars of “non-artificial intelligence”. Rather than blathering here, lemme know if you have any interest in hearing more or connecting. Thanks for your work!!!
Great piece, Justin. I could see a scenario where at some point in the future there might be a need for people to have a willingness to pay a premium for verified, human-created content. Substack might be a great platform for this (I'm new here so I haven't gone too deep yet), but for creators the problem, like you mentioned, seems to be that you still have to play to an algorithm to build any kind of substantial audience that would make Substack a viable earning opportunity. And that sounds like a recipe for more slop.
I also wonder if a rebirth of print would be supported by the public? It would be amazing to see a revitalized industry of niche books and magazines. I have been reading about how there has been an uptick in publishers looking for shorter books--less than 50,000 words (under 200 pages) and I wonder if that's a reaction to how we've been trained for short attention spans but also a signal that we still crave deeper, more thoughtful content?
Perhaps you don’t have to go underground at all. Boldly speak the truth, even on those platforms where you think nobody is currently listening. Start the revolution, Justin ~ you did it before.
More content than ever. Less that feels human. The best writing I find now is in newsletters and small communities where people actually care about the craft.
Love the comparison to fast food. Completely brings your hypothesis to life. And inspires me to write more.
Where do we find creativity? Off these commercialized platforms. Even Substack has lost its appeal for me. We find creativity through community. Face to face with humans. Going back to pure connection. Experiencing the moments that matter and being in the moment. It's all about connecting in the raw. Where you feel something and aren't bombarded with opinions of others that are just parroting. The commotion of voices that can't think for themselves, that spout unoriginal or hateful or meaningless words is just unbearable at times. AI just exacerbates it. So how do we build these communities of people who want pure connection?
Hi Justin, I’m new to Substack but this article is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to find on the platform. An authentic piece, thoughtfully written. Thank you. It gives me hope that there might be more engaging content out there on Substack that is worth taking a little time to read.
For me, the way I am creating and engaging with humans is in a private Skool community I created where everyone is a paying member, and I made the rule that AI must be used sparingly. Since the community is paid, it gives me the motivation to show up and create really useful stuff for the members while also challenging them to bring their best selves, not just AI-generated stuff.
James Clear talks about the idea of "If you can't win in a game, you create your own." I think that's what people are going to start doing with their own small paid communities around particular niches.
It´s difficult nowadays not finding AI slop in nearly every text... but there are jewels and Substack it´s one of them :)
Also, but not for long texts, X is also one, but when you know the profile is not AI (and monetized) oriented.