Category: Writing

Words! Language! Speaking stuff!

It’s Not Human, It’s AI

AI newsletter ‘Bay Area Letters’ has auto-penned a case study in AI journalism that I will be using in all future presentations on this topic. In a tight 200 word post it showcases all 4 major giveaways that expose a robot hand trained on clickbait – that what you are reading has had no human fingerprints on it, whatsoever.

Here is the article in full showing the four regular giveaways:

  1. Emoji bullets – ain’t no human got time to hunt for these,
  2. The classic ‘it’s not X but Y’ structure – that says nothing,
  3. Leading question and answer structure, and
  4. the emphasis on ‘building one Y at a time’

⛵Honestly? I’m sure these ‘tells’ will get weeded out eventually, one digital ding at a time. It’s not a question of if, but when.

2010 In Three Words

Happy New Year, all. Pauline says it best:

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!

I’m not a fan of the new year resolution, but I like the idea of taking stock and recommitting to something important every so often.

And to that end, I’m sizing up this idea from Chris Brogan. Partly, because I think it’s crazy enough to work, and partly, because the concept doesn’t tie you down to actually doing a new year’s resolution, but living and being something new this year, which is kind of cool. It appeals to my ‘simple rules’ wiring.

The idea is simple:

… the object is to come up with three words that you use as compass points for your efforts over the year to come. They’re not resolutions. They’re ways of framing what you plan to do in the coming year.

I like the idea that it gets you to focus on where you want to be, not necessarily what you want to do. Successful motto-writers and admen have been following the same idea for years.

So, for what it’s worth, here are my three:

Create. Connect. Energy.

Can you boil your plans for 2010 down into 3 words?