17 May 2026
Who’s to Blame?
It would be easy to blame AI, but it is just one reason I've increasingly struggled to put my thoughts to paper. Before AI became widely accessible and linguistically adept, I took a certain pride in my communication style, believing it to be interesting and engaging across both writing and public speaking. While generative AI hasn't replaced me on the stage (yet), running my essays – or any write-up, for that matter – under the yoke of AI has been a humbling experience.
Certainly, it has allowed me to learn from my numerous grammatical and stylistic errors. However, more than once, I’ve had to admit that AI's rewriting of my stories was simply better: fluid transitions, simplified sentences, riveting endings. I know what the critics will say: AI's hand is easy to detect because it all sounds the same. I haven't found that to be entirely true, though.
First of all, different AI models yield different results (they don't all rely on that tired formula of a negative followed immediately by its opposite: "It wasn't X. It was Y."). Furthermore, using AI's suggestions as a sounding board for one's own modifications creates a hybrid piece. It’s perhaps no longer 100% human-generated, but it’s certainly not 100% AI-generated either. Huh, this makes me wonder if we should start indicating the approximate percentage of AI assistance in our articles.
Did you notice how I inserted the word "huh"? I believe part of the appeal of my writing lies in the impression that I'm "speaking" directly to you, the reader – straddling the line between proper prose and casual conversation. Of course, I also enjoy experimenting with different styles, especially after reading books that inspire me.
No, I can't only blame AI for the hundred or so essays and travel stories I've left unfinished. Neither can I entirely blame procrastination, as I've always been highly disciplined and methodical. Part of my writer's block stems from the harsh realisation that I'm simply not original enough. Worse, there have been times when the sheer vacuity of what I was writing stood out to me. At other times, the solution to my recurrent dark thoughts was glaring at me the whole time. I just chose to ignore it and soak in my own whining instead – so much easier! I dread reading back over some of the older articles published on this site... Am I being too harsh on myself? It's no wonder my tagline includes the phrase "demanding of myself".
I suppose my lack of confidence, and likely my low self-esteem, also stems from the fact that virtually nobody reads my stuff. Granted, I don't bother marketing it. It's also entirely intentional on my part to disable comments on my articles (you can always email me) and to make them tedious to share (you can simply copy the URL).
There's no grandiose lesson to draw from all of this. Perhaps you feel the same way about your own stylistic ventures, and perhaps reading this makes you feel a little less alone. I'll now upload these raw notes – handwritten on a 2009 calendar notepad, as per my habit of never wasting paper – to AI to get the typed... and improved version of this. A bit of irony there.
