RESIST “GENERATIVE” A.I.!

Hey everyone, Nick here.

Just so you know, I have an absolute no AI policy for the entire creative process. I keep this policy for several reasons.

First, it’s plagiarism. Telling the corporate software to make a painting out of stolen parts is no different than laundering money and claiming you earned it. The effort you put into it, such as it is, does not make it yours.

Second, it’s damaging to the mind. Here is an explanation why.

Finally, it’s boring. Art (or writing, music, etc) created by no one has no soul and nothing to recommend it. There’s no one on the other side to feel connected to, no glimpse into the mind of the artist, no wrestling with artist intent versus audience perception. It’s the artistic equivalent of distracting a baby with jingling keys.

So how do I stay Skynet-free? I used to write in Word 2007, but my new PC isn’t having it, so now I use OpenOffice. The cover art is created by a real person (my extraordinary sister!), and the graphic design is done by a real person as well. Honestly, I’m a little annoyed that my web host has a big button in the corner, asking me to let the Machine build the website for me.

I write books, and I do it myself. I do it because I have stories in me, and it’s genuinely painful to not get them out. I hope you enjoy them. But hey, even if you don’t, thanks for taking the time to give me a shot. And at least I can sleep easy at night knowing that the stories I’ve told came from my own heart, not the shredded remains of a million others.