Simon WillisonMay 9, 2023

I'd love to hear more opinions on generative AI from people who aren't confident writers

I feel like most of the commentary I see is from people who write with confidence - almost by definition, since writing confidently is an important prerequisite for widely broadcasting your opinions on things

Show threadSimon WillisonMay 9, 2023

I have a hunch that there are lots of people out there for whom the ability to have a computer help them write is a massively valuable thing, but their stories have so far not attracted much attention in the wider AI discourse

I'd love to upgrade that hunch with actual information

Show threadGlyphMay 9, 2023
@simon This feels like one of those things that is aesthetically presented as liberatory but rapidly becomes a stigmatizing class marker, sold only to people who can't tell the difference. Like an MLM. "Finally, the benefit of (owning your own business|confident writing) is available to the masses! It's easy to get started, just pay (your upline|ChatGPT's escalating costs)." But no actual investor is fooled by MLM garbage products and nowhere that requires quality writing will be fooled by LLMs
Show threadSimon WillisonMay 9, 2023
@glyph sure, but there are SO many situations that don't require quality writing: they need clear, boring, uncreative writing that clearly communicates some information
Show threadGlyph
@simon I guess I share your curiosity here, because I am curious if LLMs *can* provide this, and what experiences this type of user has. I feel like I should withhold details to protect the accused here, but I've had a few interactions where someone has attempted to work around their lack of english skills by pasting LLM output at me and I immediately clocked it because it was full of meandering fluff and the substance itself was confusingly ambiguous, as well as just wrong in places.
May 9, 2023 at 7:50pmWeb