AI Use
I began experimenting with computer-generated text in the 1970s, long before the term “Generative AI” existed. One of my earliest programs, the Jargonaut, strung together randomly selected academic phrases to create convincing but meaningless statements. It was useful in faculty meetings: I would tap the screen, read a statement aloud, and answer questions with such rhetorical flair that no one dared ask a second one.
While the Jargonaut was humorous, it raises a serious point: tools that generate text, whether simple C scripts or today’s neural networks, can be used thoughtfully, creatively, and responsibly.
“The only app you need is a decent compiler.”
Bugsy Danger Moon
In my writing process, I use modern AI tools in the following ways:
- Idea generation: Brainstorming, exploring angles, and drawing preliminary outlines.
- Research: Surfacing relevant sources and data more efficiently than manual search.
- Drafting: Producing rough drafts, paraphrasing, or testing stylistic variations under strict guidance.
- Refinement: Acting as a tireless editorial assistant, suggesting phrasing and structure based on my own input.
- Review: Helping identify inconsistencies, redundancies, or missed opportunities in the text.
At every stage, I remain the primary author. AI tools do not determine content, structure, or direction. They are instruments, not collaborators. I do not copy outputs verbatim. I revise, contextualize, reframe, and refine. The final responsibility for every sentence rests with me.
Even the images are slow-fermented, each shaped through careful description and iterative refinement until they echo the spirit of the text.