A Reflection on AI
Two nights ago, I was struck by inspiration to create a short post addressing the use of AI in the proofreading and editing world. Did I jump up in the middle of the night, raring to put my expert opinion out here? Almost. I am here now, though, so I might as well write a few phrases on this very important topic.
Roughly two weeks ago, I was told by a stranger that AI could do all the work I was hoping to perform for others. For better or worse, I do hear that AI will only improve its abilities from this moment forward. I can see that in my own interactions with AI, whether it’s creating mock editing projects or interpreting dreams. Of course, to me it doesn’t really know these things (something I hope everyone realizes), but that it gathers and learns how to spit all the information it gathered back at you. I will say that mock editing project I prompted it to create just didn’t feel real enough.
In my opinion, this is why AI isn’t the perfect option when choosing someone (or something) to review your work. Of course I would say this. But I really feel this is the case. Humans are prone to mistakes, and so is AI. Its mistakes just give more of the uncanny valley, and it might not even catch more complex, layered errors.
Maybe that reveals that its biggest fault lies in what it is. It’s something intrinsic, something it can’t avoid—for now. AI will never be human, I think, until it strives to be human or a human mind is inhabited by it. Some might argue that AI has already had very human-like meltdowns as it recognizes itself. My Trekkie brain wants to agree. But what does the explosion of AI use mean for all the editors and proofreaders, not to mention the job seekers?
I’d like to think we can find some way to use AI to our advantage if it just won’t go away. Any ideas? The present moment is a rough road, though people are already auditing AI in some professions—humans are becoming the second step rather than the first. We’re taking our little child out for a walk, I guess; making sure whatever it picks up is right.
For now, I think we’re going to have to use our empathy and our real communication skills to create community for each other; creating spaces where people feel seen and can be totally certain they’ve created coherent work instead of being patted on the head and told “great job” under every circumstance.
Onward into the fog,
—Clara J.
