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What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

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Re: What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

#51

Post by 8bitsrule »

jason-phillips wrote: post #22
rcme wrote: post #17

I’ve been using AI to write with great success. Mostly business documents. My general process is this: Think of the concept I want to write about as well as the supporting evidence for the topic. Ask ChatGPT to write me something in my target format using the topic and supporting evidence as input. What I get back is essentially a well-written skeleton that I can use to fill in additional details. Finally, I pass my…

The symmetric flow of information back and forth between yourself and the AI assistant is the key distinction here. It's a very beneficial, symbiotic relationship. The problem will be the asymmetric, uni-directional flow to those whose sole function is mindless consumption of AI-generated content.

Not exactly a balanced symbiosis. Certainly works to the enormous benefit of whoever controls the AI. Eventually it becomes some flavor of omniscient. It submits the papers, experts become reviewers?

Re: What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

#52

Post by simon_kun »

This is an extremely insightful article. Strong agree with the core points made that these are copilots or co-processors rather than replacements. Maybe at some point in the future we will all be replaced (sound familiar?) but for now these are tools that can help us make progress as a society at a much faster rate

Re: What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

#53

Post by wprl »

popinman322 wrote: post #36
RhodesianHunter wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn't think copilot was actually sending your source code back to GitHub? It's trained on OSS.

Snippets of your local code are sent to the API as part of the Copilot request context.

When I looked into this a little bit, I found Copilot for Business states they do not record any of the info you send them. Though obviously you are still sending out code to a third party. I could not find any info about their policies for “normal” Copilot which I assume means they are recording all the code sent to it and using our code to further train the model.

Re: What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

#54

Post by alkjsdlkjasd »

rcme wrote: post #17

I’ve been using AI to write with great success. Mostly business documents. My general process is this: Think of the concept I want to write about as well as the supporting evidence for the topic. Ask ChatGPT to write me something in my target format using the topic and supporting evidence as input. What I get back is essentially a well-written skeleton that I can use to fill in additional details. Finally, I pass my…

This is similar to my process.

However, I also use ChatGPT to make the updates for me, adding additional information and context, which I then ask to be integrated into the document (e.g. update the introduction to include...)

Re: What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

#55

Post by druchtie »

zrtalk wrote: post #38

I recall that they said the same about IBM Watson, especially after it won jeopardy. Now, no one talks about it any longer.

I have worked with Watson and now working on Ask. I can guarantee that it is much better and more accessible. Slite is uniquely positioned as it has been an opinionated knowledge base from the beginning.

But don't take my word for it; you should sign up for the beta and give it a try :)

Re: What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

#56

Post by SSLy »

jonathanstrange wrote: post #50

I'm hoping for a tool that cannot just correct my English style, but can also play the advocatus diaboli in a little speech bubble while I'm writing philosophy papers. It ought to constantly try to disprove me, though only on a per-paragraph basis and by making mild suggestions ("Could you give an example here?", "On the other hand,...", "What if...", "Isn't this what calls...?", "Isn't there a missing premise in thi…

NovelAI does this, to some basic extend.

Re: What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

#57

Post by alkjsdlkjasd »

nerdponx wrote: post #33
rcme wrote: post #17

I’ve been using AI to write with great success. Mostly business documents. My general process is this: Think of the concept I want to write about as well as the supporting evidence for the topic. Ask ChatGPT to write me something in my target format using the topic and supporting evidence as input. What I get back is essentially a well-written skeleton that I can use to fill in additional details. Finally, I pass my…

It sounds like crafting the prompt is still 99% of the work here.

You can do multi-shot, which reduces the need for a good prompt upfont.

Re: What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

#58

Post by druchtie »

melanieb421 wrote: post #16
kebman wrote: post #6

I wonder if this article is written also with AI help? For instance ChatGPT usually ends the last paragraph with "Ultimately". As a side note I've also seen sites use SEO by writing possible search terms into the article itself.

unfortunately, my human brain wrote this, and it is not optimized for SEO :/

So this has been your secret all along, Melanie! ;)

Re: What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

#59

Post by jason-phillips »

8bitsrule wrote: post #51
jason-phillips wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The symmetric flow of information back and forth between yourself and the AI assistant is the key distinction here. It's a very beneficial, symbiotic relationship. The problem will be the asymmetric, uni-directional flow to those whose sole function is mindless consumption of AI-generated content.

Not exactly a balanced symbiosis. Certainly works to the enormous benefit of whoever controls the AI. Eventually it becomes some flavor of omniscient. It submits the papers, experts become reviewers?

My statement assumes parity, describing an ideal scenario. I believe that's what the parent described from his experience, today.

Assuming subterfuge then my statement wouldn't apply, obviously, as the flow of information wouldn't exactly be symmetric. Symmetric information flow implies a commitment to operate in good faith with free exchange.

Edited to address this point:

> Eventually it becomes some flavor of omniscient.

The trick will be to maintain parity. This may be a fool's errand, but that point is key. It may be that only 0.01% of intellects eventually maintain symmetric conversation with AI, but that is important, nonetheless.

Re: What if AI didn't make you a bad writer, but a better thinker?

#60

Post by gonzo41 »

rcme wrote: post #17

I’ve been using AI to write with great success. Mostly business documents. My general process is this: Think of the concept I want to write about as well as the supporting evidence for the topic. Ask ChatGPT to write me something in my target format using the topic and supporting evidence as input. What I get back is essentially a well-written skeleton that I can use to fill in additional details. Finally, I pass my…

I was doing this with work. Dot points were becoming paragraphs. Seemingly for others comfort. Yet, the dot points had all the information. So am I still preparing the paragraphs?

Maybe the change we need isn't AI assist, but a break in the conventions around communication at work so we can all be more robotic and terse.

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