Writers, Privilege, And AI

If you use ChatGPT, you are still a writer: it may even be essential to unleash more great writers

I’d only been on Medium a few days before I got into a bit of a disagreement.

A shouty journo from the old guard was getting very worked up over writers using ChatGPT in any way. I left the comment below. Click through to the replies and you’ll see that the author didn’t take too kindly to my opinion.

I agree with your central point that having AI write your work for you is bad.

To an extent, he had a point. People using ChatGPT to draft entire articles or stories are really missing the point of writing, and crowding out real writers. It’s about taking what’s in your head and bringing it into the world, crystallising it on page or screen. Whatever it is, it’s you.

Otherwise, what’s the point? I don’t want to hear from a network of algorithms. I want to here from you.

My purist friend and I parted ways there though. As far as I’m concerned, writers have always used the tools at their disposal. Pencils, ballpoint pens, ring-bound notebooks, laptops, phones. More importantly, thee tools all made it easier for more people to be heard; almost always for the better.

Why should we treat ChatGPT any differently? Assuming you’re not using it to write your stuff wholesale, let’s run down the main objections.

Objection 1: you’re benefiting from other people’s work that ChatGPT is drawing on

As long as you’re not having it write your stuff, this one is easy. Do you have a problem with people using Google for research? ChatGPT is just doing the same thing more efficiently, while also making some (usually) useful inferences.

Objection 2: it’s not always accurate

This one is fair and worth worrying about as a writer. Do you need accuracy for your work to have integrity? Even in fiction, accuracy can matter. If you’re representing another culture, for example, do your research properly. Wondering how to describe injuries from a fight? In a work of fiction, you’ll be fine as long a the fight isn’t loaded with meaning on a sensitive topic.

Also, you can at least ask ChatGPT to give you its sources and give them a skim.

Objection 3: you’re not writing for yourself

This one is a bit more nuanced in my mind. Writing the whole thing? No point in bothering to write at all.

Writing certain passages? Bit more murky. I’m think (and I’m not confident here) that is depends what that passage is about. If it’s just a collection of dry facts that you need to support your point, I don’t really have a problem with it.

Using it to check your own writing so see if it makes sense? This is why I starting writing this article.

Why am I talking about this now?

Walter Rhein wrote a great article (below) about the unsaid privilege of good grammar, and those who abuse it to keep others down.

Pointing Out Grammatical Mistakes Is an Act of Extreme Privilege

Walter, I think you and I would get along. There are so many people out there with great stories to tell. Important stories, stuff that will change our lives. Don’t we want to hear them?

Ideally we would all read through poor grammar and see the good stuff behind it. But I’m not even great at that myself. I’m as guilty as most people of writing off grammatically bad writing as bad writing altogether. I’m trying to be better at this.

ChatGPT can review people’s work to help them overcome that barrier. Ideally it wouldn’t have to but that’s where we are right now. And if it means more voices get heard, bring it on.

But that isn’t unique to this tool. The Hemmingway app and others have been helping people improve their writing for years. Plain old spellcheckers are getting smarter too.

But what about ChatGPT’s real party trick?

A researcher in your pocket

This is one place where OpenAI’s tool has the ability to truly improve the world. Writing has always been elitist for a few reasons:

1. Well off people have the perspectives that are generally easiest to accept for the publishing industry.
2. They also have the contacts they need to get heard.
3. They have the education to make their writing clear and ‘proper’.
4. They have time and contacts for research, or money to pay for it.

As I’ve said, a few apps out there can help with number 3. Number 1 and 2 are a lot more systematic but hopefully getting more voices heard can improve them.

Number 4 is where ChatGPT is a revelation. When I started writing I would get to an unfamiliar topic and then stop. I had work out who I could ask about it, or whether I needed to do my own research. Moving on felt like I would lose the thread (I’m better at this now) so it was a real roadblock.

Now, the first thing I do is open up a ChatGPT window and start asking questions. Usually, after a couple of rewrites of my question, I get a workable answer within 5 minutes. As mentioned above, sometimes this needs checking and corroborating with other people or sources. Often though, I can just crack on with writing.

The time this saves if precious to me. I have a 9–5 job that often strays beyond those hours. I have a toddler who needs me most of the rest of the time. Fitting in writing is a constant dance of planning and opportunism.

I can’t be that unusual, especially for a new writer. And when it comes to the people whose perspectives we hear least, the challenge is much greater.

Let them in

People traditionally shut out of writerly circles are those with lower economic standing, educational opportunities and time. Often they are working 2–3 jobs, juggling impossible financial options and dealing with tough social issues. Add in the fact that their situations are usually due to systemic racism and government incompetence, and this is an area where we should be looking for the next revolution.

Anything that can make it easier for them to get their stories down on the page should be embraced without hesitation. AI of many kinds has the potential to help them and our lives will all be better for it. It can help them write, research and edit in the precious little time they have.

So next time you read a rant about the perils of AI for writers, ask yourself: “who prospers from the way things are now? How can we use this change to make things better?”

Then leave a comment – keep is classy – and brace yourself.

Writers, Privilege, And AI was originally published in The Writing Cooperative on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.