Hey Reader,

The "AI involved in writing" discourse has gotten insufferably binary.

Today, I want to share my nuanced perspective on why I believe the binary conversation is woefully unhelpful and hurting all of us.

The AI binary is a witch hunt

When I was 17, my high school offered a program where seniors could intern at a real workplace for a few months to gain "life experience."

I chose to write a biography of my life with my two best friends, whom I met in Kindergarten.

Life experience? Meh. I'd rather sit alone in my room and create something magical.

There were 13 chapters. Each chapter was a story from the 13 years we'd known each other. Age 5 to 18.

I'm telling you this because I've spent most of my life wrestling through the creative pain of bringing ideas to life, and I loved every second of it.

And then, AI came along.

At first, I was skeptical. What is this magical black box that can write for me? Why would I want that?

I tested it. It sucked. I moved on.

Then ChatGPT flew onto the scene, and that changed things for me. It still wasn't good, but it could take my frameworks and do a much better job than the earlier tools.

By then, I'd developed a full-blown career as an editor. My preference had shifted from painfully arguing with a blank page to fixing broken puzzles.

For me, sculpting became my creative outlet.

Fast forward to today. The tools have gotten significantly better, and Claude is so much better at writing than ChatGPT (in my opinion).

I've created an AI editing process that makes creation 10x more fun. Not faster, but sans the insufferable pain.

Unfortunately, this stance seems to label me a witch deserving of being burned at the stake.

I see this argument play out every day on LinkedIn: "real writers" shaming anyone who uses AI as a "fake writer" or "not good enough."

Look, I get the fear. People are worried about slop taking over, our brains eroding, and trust eroding with it.

"How do I know this is real?"

"Where did this come from?"

These are legitimate concerns. I share them. But I don't believe avoiding a tool entirely is the answer.

And I do not believe publicly shaming those for the sake of protecting what you hold dear is a noble path.

AI is the newest committee member

I think of AI as a committee member.

When you work for a business, content goes through several rounds of revisions by several people before it comes to life. Usually, a strategist, a writer, an editor, and a varying number of other people who probably shouldn't be involved (but that's a rant for another day).

There are drawbacks, sure, but think about the benefits.

I spent four years in-house trading feedback with other experienced and skilled writers and editors. I got better every day because I was intaking other points of views, other arguments, other angles that I would have missed if I was alone.

Then, two years ago, I went out on my own and felt...lost.

My final draft was simply mine. I didn't have the luxury of sending it to a team member for thoughts. Even though I trusted my instincts, I desperately missed the brainstorming, sparring, and back-and-forth of writing by committee.

It felt horrible, I can't lie.

And then, AI came along, and suddenly, I have a co-creation partner again. Except this time, I'm co-creating with another version of me. A version that challenges me when I miss something. A version that helps me remember what I said a year or two ago that I forgot. A version that can act like my team even though I'm "solo."

Humans before, during, and after

For me, the answer to the AI slop isn't "no AI."

And it's certainly not open judgment and a witch hunt.

It's humans before, during, and after.

Humans involved in the thinking.

Humans involved in the research.

Humans involved in the prompting.

Humans involved in the editing.

The most impactful creators I know aren't asking "should I use AI or not?"

They're asking, "How can I use AI strategically to amplify what I'm already good at?"

Especially if they don't have a team to brainstorm with. Or a content sparring partner they can pay thousands a month to for feedback.

But hey, this is just my take, shaped by my unique perspective and life experience.

So I'd love to hear from you.

Where do you stand on this? What's been your experience? What are your fears? Excitements?

I'd love to have a cordial discussion where we can learn from each other and grow.

Where one-upping is put aside, and open dialogue in a safe space is possible.

If you feel comfortable sharing your opinion openly, join the discussion on LinkedIn.​

If not, please reply here.

I'll feature the most interesting takes in my next newsletter.

Cheers,

Erica

PS. Nick and I had Robert and Anthony, the co-founders of FletchPMM, on the pod last week.

We went deep into:

• Their POV on what qualifies as a “real” business when you’re a solopreneur
• How to generate business
• Why solos hit a wall when they try to scale
• Their LinkedIn content philosophy
• Why they’re bullish on having a co-founder

​Listen here.​

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New here? I'm Erica. Your seltzer-loving solopreneur who helps you earn more money with content that moves people to action. If you loved this email, but aren't on the list, subscribe here. And say hi on LinkedIn & Substack, or check out my website for more. ​​​