Thad Toole

In the age of AI, writers should be transparent about the tools they are using. In this spirit of authenticity, I will be by tagging my work with personal citations. I call the process “journeying” and it looks like this:

Jy: July 30th, 9:31 pm; Virginia Beach. Compose; Google Doc; Chromebook; Spell Check; Grammarly

Let the oversharing begin.

The art of writing will always be just that- art.  If you are like me, you value it and will continue to crawl through the carpal tunnel, largely unassisted, until you are dead- you must. You have no choice. It’s in your blood. 

Don’t worry….

Your personal style has never been more important.  Your contributions have never been more valued.

Utilitarian writing—tedious, mechanical task—has changed. AI is taking this work regardless of our feelings. However, this shift frees us to create more for readers who crave originality. For those who welcome typos. For the folks who want to talk to other folks.

 So, please allow me to reintroduce you to the first person.  “I” is about to be everywhere. “I” will be invited to the exclusive parties- the academic papers, the news journals. “I” will mingle in the realm of encyclopedic experts. 

First person writing will be expected where it was once shunned because the desire for human exchange will outweigh formality.

The quest for authenticity will ignite demand for imperfect expressions of personality.

As I watch the 2024 Paris Olympics, I’m peppered with commercials for Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. It’s a coming-out party.  The AI wave has crashed ashore and flooded the town. I am only, very sightly, ahead.  

For one of my jobs, I have been learning AI prompt engineering to generate blog content. The result is that my clients get a higher quality product faster. It’s simple business, and I am successful for two reasons: I can write and have studied how to generate AI content. 

This new territory is the continuation of a refined skill set. But, is what I am doing with blogs writing?  I don’t think I care. I know when I am comfortable using AI and when I am not. For now, that works. 

So, from here on out I’ll be stamping my work in the form of journeying. These mutated citations feel good, as does sharing with you. Typically, I’d edit this 1000 times over before you read it. It would be pasteurized into presentable.  But instead, I’ll let it fly. I’m getting tired. I’m not a machine. 

Jy: July 30th, 9:31 pm; Virginia Beach, VA. Compose; Google Doc; Chromebook; Spell Check; Grammarly

Jy: August 5th, 8:32 pm; Exton, PA. Edit; Google Doc; Chromebook; Spell Check; Grammarly