Guaranteed AI-free

Some say AI is end-times tech, some say it’s just a tool. And look, I bet someday—if our species survives—some inspired and hard-working genius will use AI in a truly unique and unintended way, and create an epic twist on an art form. Like Warhol did with Polaroids and silkscreens, or Hitchcock did with a camera and a cutting room, or Bowie did with a microphone and mascara.

But we’re not there now. Because generative AI isn’t a tool. It’s a cheat.

There’s some AI you can’t avoid—like the AI built into search engines—but generative AI is something else entirely. It creates content. From stolen content. So I agree with Vince Gilligan (writer of Breaking Bad, Better Cal Saul, Pluribus, and The X-Files) who calls it a plagiarism machine…

That’s lot to unpack. Because not only does it steal from artists and authors, then copy their content without their consent, but it’s a threat to our planet, which is already endangered. While ballooning a bubble economy. It also makes people stupid. And on top of all that: who wants soulless “art” made by robots?

Not me. I don’t use AI. Because it sucks, and it steals from artists, and it ruins the planet, and your brain. It’s not just a plagiarism machine—it’s a suicidal slop-producing plagiarism machine. So until there’s a way to use it without stealing from others and ruining our environment and our minds, I’m steering clear.

“I bet someday—if our species survives—some hard- working, inspired genius will use AI to create an epic twist on an art form... But we’re not there now.”

And by the way, you can’t copyright AI-generated work, so reputable publishers don’t want it. And if they find out you used it, the deal is off.

I began writing this novel back in 2018, which was before generative AI became available. I still have the first draft, from the NaNoWriMo challenge, completed on 11/22/18. I registered it with the US Copyright Office on 11/23/2018. At that time it was called Cocktails with Optional Laughter…

Along the way to its current state, others witnessed the changes I made. In 2019 it was sent to a professional editor, who worked with me on developmental edits. A second editor provided feedback on a new draft in 2021. After further rewrites, it was sent to a third editor in 2022 for feedback. I have documented proof from all of them. The smoking gun, you might say.

Ever since humans have been making art, we’ve been using it to connect with each other. It’s how we process our emotions, explain our world, envision our future. From the early cave dwellers to the avant-garde post-modernists, art and writing have allowed us to contribute our own verse to the human experience…

Some people may be fine with AI slop. They may be fine with letting it ruin their brain and ruin their world. I’m not one of them. And I hope you aren’t either. Because the powerful play shouldn’t be plagiarized.