AI’s Help In Writing Anything…!

AI and My Writing: A Conversation with My Brother

 : By Dr Sunil S Rana 

The other day, I had a long and rather interesting conversation with my brother, Anil. The topic was simple on the surface but deep in its implications; my use of AI tools in writing blogs.

Anil, who has seen me write since the days when even SMS and WhatsApp were unheard of, raised an issue; whether I have started taking the help of AI in my writings now ? He explained, “I have no doubt whatsoever about your writing capabilities. I have been watching you for years; applications, complaints, letters, small notes, and long pieces. Your skill was evident long before anyone ever thought of AI.”

That acknowledgment made me smile. He was right. Writing has always been my craft, and my expressions have always come from within. But still, he wondered why I felt the need to take help from an AI tool.

The Nature of AI Writing:

I explained to him that AI’s calculation, to tell that someone has used its tools, is based on certain criteria that are not always transparent. Sometimes it gives a score of its help as 40% for two paragraphs, 50% for three paragraphs, 60% for the whole blog, and 0% for others. What does that even mean? That is something I still need to figure out.

People often use AI to save time. And here comes the real debate; many idioms, maxims, and regular expressions are part of our shared cultural memory. These have been in the public domain for years. Just because an AI tool picks them up doesn’t mean one person owns that sentence. After all, all paintings are made from the same seven colours, and all ragas and songs are based on the same Sa, Re, Ga, Ma. The uniqueness lies in how we arrange them, not in the raw elements themselves.

AI as a Tool, Not a Master:

I also told him that I know the writing style of AI. It’s everywhere now; even in newspapers, where articles and reports often read like they have been processed by a machine. There is no harm, in my opinion, in putting across your thoughts through AI.

I compared it to farming: once, farmers toiled with oxen; today, they plough with tractors. Both methods serve the same purpose, but one saves time and effort. Similarly, why write only with pen and paper letters when we can use WhatsApp? Technology is not the enemy. The key is to use technology without letting it overpower us.

Every tool has rights and wrongs associated with it. It is up to us to nip the evil in the bud and make use of the good.

The Core Remains the Idea:

At the heart of writing lies the idea. That is something no AI can replace. The AI can improve the form, refine the style, or add polish as per your direction. But the flow, the voice, and the control must remain yours. If you let AI hijack your idea, then yes, you lose authenticity. But if you let AI work under your breath, enhancing your thoughts, the writing still remains yours.

At least, with these tools, more people are reading, writing, and engaging with words in a better way.

A Conclusion Born Out of Conversation:

By the end of our discussion, both my brother and I agreed: it is not about whether AI is used or not. It is about how it is used. The flow of thought, the originality of idea, and the personal stamp of expression must remain intact. AI can only be a tractor; it cannot be the farmer.

In fact, as I look back at the very statements I made to my brother, I realise they themselves could become a good blog. And here it is.