Authenticity

It's a particularly interesting time to be a technologist.

The conversation around AI has probably not yet reached peak fervor. Jobs may not vanish, but at the very least, the nature of work will change far more than it already has. Even so, the conversation has already reached a level of division I had thought exclusive to religion.

I'm a heavy user of AI tools. My approach to avoiding their biggest problem (namely, slop) is to use them to interpolate and extrapolate from my thinking and intent.

I curate what comes out, cutting away the diseased, rotten slop and reassembling the crystallized pieces that remain, ensuring that my humanity survives contact with the averaging machine.

Part of my confidence in using the technology comes from knowing when not to use it. The other part comes from knowing how to use it effectively. Articulation is a critical element of my toolkit, and I attempt to understand the leverage of each and every word I write.

We've developed a natural inclination to assume that AI produces a lot of garbage. That's because, when left to its own devices, it typically does. That does not, however, mean it can only be used to produce slop, or that there is no redemption for its use with a thoughtful, guiding hand.