Hark! We All Have the Same Editor! Can We Forgive the Betrayal?

What is betrayal? Is it forgivable by degree? Is it lurking in the stockbrand AI writing voice we're seeing in countless essays? Does it even matter anymore?

Betrayal manifests in different forms: direct and indirect, intentional and unintentional, big and small.

The Neurodivergent Scanner

Small betrayals happen to me constantly because I read them that way. My neurodiverse lens scans for details in every interaction. At dinner, if someone takes a bigger helping than me. At the store, if someone doesn't thank me for holding the door. When I wave another car into traffic and don't get the courtesy wave back, I feel betrayed.

Or on Substack lately, when I see remnants of my ideas from notes turned into essay posts. I simmer on it far too long. My frustration is on the uptick and it shows up in my waking life.

The AI Voice Invasion

But here's the thing...

No, I'm kidding. AI says "here's the thing." I see it everywhere. Many essay voices aren't as distinct as they used to be before 2023. Here's my list of AI markers I spot constantly:

Catchy Openers:

• "Here's the thing"
• "It's complicated"
• "Nuanced take incoming"
• "Here's the thing nobody talks about"
• "The real question is..."

Transition Phrases:
• "Here's what they don't tell you"
• "The uncomfortable truth is..."
• "What most people miss is..."
• "Unpopular opinion:"
• "Let me break this down for you"

Setup Patterns:
• "Maybe, just maybe"
• "I could be wrong, but..."
• "This might be crazy, but..."
• "Perhaps, just perhaps..."
• "What if, just what if..."

Newsletter Voice:
• "Diving deep into..."
• "Unpacking"
• "Let's explore this rabbit hole"
• "Connecting the dots"
• "Zooming out for a second"

Repeated Structures:
• "This isn't about X. This isn't about Y. This is about Z."
• "What does this mean? What are the implications? What happens next?"
• "This matters. This really matters. This matters more than you think."

Catchy Phrases:
• "This changes everything"
• "The future is already here"
• "We're just scratching the surface"
• "What happens next will shock you"

Rethinking the Betrayal

I'm shedding light on this list because I sometimes feel betrayed by AI, and I know many people would agree. But at this stage of the tech-social game, should I be?

I challenge myself to rethink this small betrayal with one simple declaration:

= My 95% Rule

I use AI as an editor. I do all the upfront writing. I do all the second and third draft tweaks. I prompt AI to NOT provide creative input, only mechanical help. Sometimes I'll say, "Help me with this sentence so it's clearly articulated, use your words accordingly."

Overall, I am 95% the true author. I challenge all fact output and tell it NOT to agree with me. I'm also teaching myself how AI works from a layman user perspective: learning about tokens, autocomplete functions, and how it's trained on data rather than actually thinking.

Working with the Betrayal

As of now, I like and appreciate the technology. The betrayal isn't in sharing the same editor. It's in doing the actual thinking to not betray yourself.

=Mr. A =Attention Maps