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Turning the Tide on Artificial Intelligence - iA

Every company's product is now leveraging AI to provide answers directly. Allowing users to skip the thinking process. The renowned writing tool iA wants to turn the tables and use AI to help you think instead.

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Artificial intelligence has assimilated Microsoft, Facebook, Google, and now Apple. Inevitably: as soon as you turn on your computer, you are invited to skip thinking and let the machine fill in the blanks. But what if we used artificial intelligence not to reduce thinking, but to increase it?

Artificial intelligence has a characteristic: it makes everything the same. Now every tech company offers more or less the same service: "think less." What about Apple? Different? Not anymore.

Tech companies, big and small, are selling artificial intelligence as something that can think for us. It does replace thinking with statistics, but it's not intelligent. No one knows what the future holds. But would a future without thinking be better?

Now, there's a tool that can help us think... How to use artificial intelligence to reduce thinking, but rather increase it?

But I don't know where to start. But I really like that ChatGPT. But I can't say it better. But I'm stuck. But I worry I've written something stupid. But I just need to correct some commas and spelling errors. But I need a second opinion.

Let's turn the tide and stop making excuses.

  1. Don't ask artificial intelligence, let artificial intelligence ask you a) But I don't know where to start Give ChatGPT an outline and let it write for you. Let's turn the tide and let ChatGPT prompt us. Tell AI to ask you questions about what you're writing. Force yourself to express what you really want to say in clear terms. For example, like this:

I want to write an article about [topic]. Ask me a question each time, forcing me to explain my thoughts.

Keep asking until your ideas are clear. The ChatGPT prompt dialogue would look like this:

Once you have enough material, paste the answers into a text editor. You've just written your first draft without cheating.

ChatGPT may have said or asked something clever along the way. Want to steal it? Don't do it. Instead, use it as an opportunity to think and express your feelings.

  1. Don't sell stolen goods—create your own b) But I really like that ChatGPT sentence What if ChatGPT generates some useful content that I want to keep? Paste it as a comment, marked as AI. Use quotes, use tags, and credit the source.
  2. Don't pretend. Create c) But I can't say it better What if artificial intelligence says exactly what I want to say? Rethink and rewrite it to make it your own. Ask yourself if the generated content is true. At first glance, it might look rigorous, but if you think about it carefully, you'll find mistakes. Feel it, think about it seriously. Say it in your own way.

Keep writing the first draft and organizing your thoughts. Focus on what you want to say and get into the zone. You can forget about ChatGPT for the next few hours. Now, the story belongs to you.

  1. Editing: Cut, Clarify, Simplify Creativity, structure, first draft, editing, and publishing seem to be separate steps. But in reality, they are interconnected. Your ideas take shape as you write. Writing and editing go hand in hand until your ideas want to be shared. Even as you edit, Gemini, ChatGPT, and similar tools can be of help.

d) But I'm stuck
Can't find the right way to express it? Tell ChatGPT to regenerate certain parts of the document, making them shorter and in the style of your favorite writer, to help contrast your writing with others.

e) But I worry I've written something stupid
Worry about missing something obvious? You can use ChatGPT as an editor to list potential flaws, such as long words, clichés, or factual errors.

Use a "list" instead of rewriting. Rewriting leads to various unnecessary changes. Since ChatGPT looks very smooth in grammar and spelling, it's hard to spot these changes.

f) But I just need to correct some commas and spelling errors
But what if it's really just commas or spelling errors? Then paste ChatGPT's text onto your own as an editor. With author mode enabled, iA Writer will show you the changes ChatGPT has made. This way, you can ensure it doesn't rewrite what you've said.

AI changes are grayed out: In this case, ChatGPT added a comma. Make sure you agree with every change, no matter how small.

g) But I need a second opinion
What shortcomings did I overlook in my writing? Ask ChatGPT to be more critical of your writing. It might be uncomfortable, but that's how you find and fix blind spots without shame.

Why bother?
Enthusiasts see artificial intelligence as a magic wand that can solve humanity's biggest problems. Meanwhile, it uses a lot of energy to make everything the same.

Every idea we outsource is an opportunity for growth we miss. Whether we like it or not, artificial intelligence will continue to exist. No matter how we use it, we need to think more, not less.