About the Use of AI and This Website

AI generated content is everywhere these days. The Dead Internet Theory doesn’t seem like a conspiracy. I see it on Youtube, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and so on. While AI does seem like a technology that potential to benefit society, generic AI content (aka Slop) seems like we are going backward as a society when we rely on regurgitated takes rather than authentic human expression.

I have been using AI assisted coding for about eighteen months. This site is developed and maintained with AI. This site is simple, and AI is good at getting the job eighty percent done. AI can’t do it all, it will hallucinate and make mistakes. Not long ago I discovered that the math to calculate the number of days until Q-Day was wrong, even though the correct formula was in the comments that AI left in the code. It wrote the comment, and then ignored it. Frustrating at times, for sure.

Using AI for developing websites is a really good idea. This site’s specification is basic, so the actual coding isn’t complex. Something that would take me a few days to get up and running can be done in a few hours. But, AI fails when it comes to designing.

IsitQday’s layout is familiar — nothing special or innovative. Familiarity is fitting here. But, AI generated websites all look a like. They have the same purplish or indigo tones. Subtle gradients, and tend to pick accent colors that glow against the primary colors. The typefaces are all the same too — Inter and Roboto dominate. I’ve made an effort to improve upon the AI’s design by reducing content that just adds noise and clutter, changing the color palette to focus on readability, and updating fonts for readability.

AI for research is also quite useful, but it’s not a full replacement for doing my own research. Exploring on my own is central to learning, and is key to the discovery process. The path of research is a linked set of information, showing connections, and relationships. Forming spatial connections between ideas, concepts, and publications helps me to understand and remember information. AI research is good, but taking shortcuts in learning produces gaps in knowledge. And, reliance on a research partner that is known to make things up is unwise. 
In my own consumption of AI created content I have found that I quickly lose interest when looking at AI generated images. The similarity in style is off-putting. It comes across as a bit careless, lazy. And I feel the same way about AI used for writing. AI winning writing competitions leaves me cold.

I read to hear from others, to learn, to be transported to another world of someone else’s imagination. When AI writes it feels half-hearted, half-baked, half-ass. Reading AI authored content leads me to conclude that the human who prompted the AI didn’t care enough to even try to share what they think. Disappointing a reader with half-ass effort does not win them over.

While I am not sure my words will win you over, I do believe we all benefit when humans are doing the research, the thinking, and attempt to convey their insights in their own words.