The Algorithm and AI have killed my writing practice

When I started writing this blog back in 2021, I had a clear intention to share ways in which I had worked to deconstruct and opt out of some of the harmful practices of the status quo under capitalism. I started with education, because that was the closest thing I had to expertise in, and moved through a variety of topics: alternative economies, local food systems, community building, anarchist politics. I shared things as they came up in my life, as I began to understand them fully myself. I wrote off the cuff and from the heart.

I had originally shared these posts on Instagram and built a bit of a following of folks particularly interested in unschooling; my kids don’t go to school and this was a hot topic during the pandemic. As happens when one builds a following on social media platforms, I got sucked into metrics. How many likes did this post get? What topics were performing the best?

At the same time, I developed a good process for my writing, often banging off new essays or articles in a matter of hours by using online tools for managing word count (Instagram limits the number of characters you can share in a post), spelling, and grammar. I didn’t really edit my writing, and felt that my brain dump approach tended to resonate best with people because it was raw and honest.

As happens to most writers, my process evolved for a number of reasons over time. The topics I was interested in exploring expanded outwards as I learned more. The time I had available to write changed. The other writers I was reading influenced how I put together my essays. And the algorithm continue to pull me in.

So many people have written about the algorithm and AI, about how it creates slop, about how it reduces creativity. I don’t need to tell you about these things. To what degree you agree with these things doesn’t really matter.

When I think back to when I wrote for the first few years, it was because I had to; because the thoughts and ideas were exploding in my head and writing provided a way for me to get them out of my head and into the world in a way that made sense and clarified complex issues. Sometimes this still happens for me, but most of the time it’s different; these days I have to pull the thoughts out and put them together neatly, finding resources and references that help convey my ideas. Also, in an attempt to make my writing better and more relevant, I’ve turned to AI to better research my ideas and help present them more clearly. But along the way, there’s an important part of the practice of writing that has been lost and I’m not sure how to get it back.

Part of the changes I’ve undergone have been attempt to conform to a more academic tone and less personal. I want to make it less about me and more about the ideas. I don’t want to be in the center of the story anymore.

Part has been an attempt to produce better quality. I’ve never really been a very good writer and feel that I need support to publish work to be well received.

Another part has been the algorithm. If I write in the ways that my best posts have done according to the metrics, then it stands that those posts should do better moving forward.

In an attempt to remedy this, I’ve tried a few things: journaling, writing longer pieces over days or weeks, keeping some pieces I write offline, moving to poetry or fiction or other formats, moving to less public platforms. And yet, I still am struggling to find my voice again - to make my writing matter the way that it used to matter to me.

I read a post on Instagram today that set me off:

I’ve been working with ChatGPT over the last year to do research on post-capitalist theory. It’s really super helpful in finding social political theorists who have dedicated their lives to better understanding the ins and outs of the capitalist system and sharing their ideas on how we might build something better. I’ve discovered thinkers like Olin Wright, Escobar, Debord, Freire, Ostrom - honestly, too many to name here - all important thinkers who have helped to expand my world view and my own personal critique of the capitalist system.

As I ask the bot to find me others who think like me, I can feel the sycophantic nature of the interaction. It praises my questions and tells me where my ideas are both unique and valid. It suggests directions of thought that would make my theories more robust. It phrases all this as if I asked it to, and as if all these ideas are my own. It’s alarmingly validating.

I justify these conversations because I’m not in academia and often don’t have other people to talk to. It’s hard enough to make time to hang with people socially in community and it’s rare to find people who are interested in breaking down this level of social political theory, especially ones who have as much access to knowledge as the bot. Lord knows I’ve spent enough time alienating myself from community members by criticizing the capitalist system. I am fully aware of how uncomfortable it can make people.

Often I spend time dreaming up something better: spaces both online and IRL where we might come together and talk about this stuff in ways that doesn’t cost money. Dedicating time and resources to online courses or seminars isn’t really an option for most of us. I throw questions around in Instagram stories but the conversations die off if they even start.

Can I go back to writing the way I used to? I’m not sure. But I’m unsettled with where my writing practice is right now, too heavily influenced by what I think it worthy and less concerned with what feels right. And I mean, holy shit, I still have a lot to say. Even despite the sycophantic bot telling me I’m on to something big, I do feel there’s perspective and understanding that is worth sharing, especially as I continue to learn more from others. I have deep desires to dive into post-capitalist approaches to important topics like housing and food and education and community building. Alongside doing this work on the ground, I feel like I still have stories to share.