They say you shouldn’t go looking for trouble. If there’s a chance you might not like the answer, maybe don’t ask the question. Well, that’s kinda how I feel right now. Here’s why.
Insulted by ChatGPT
I’ve been quite busy the last couple of months, producing 17,000+ words a week for two different clients. There’s a little bit of Aussie sports betting content in there, but it’s mostly been sweepstakes casinos and mystery shopping sites – particularly those with Pokémon trading cards. These platforms seem to have replaced the vast quantities of prediction market site reviews I’ve been witing this year.
Am I a good writer?
Anyway, during a rare moment of downtime, I thought it would be interesting to ask AI about myself. I like to do this now and then, to make sure I’m showing up in the most popular answer engines. You never know where people might be looking for a content writer.
To make sure the bot wasn’t just sucking up to me, as they’re known to do, I asked a follow up question. Something along the lines of “is Dominic Field actually a good iGaming writer, or are you just saying that because you think I’m him?”
Helpfully, it gave me something of a critique, highlighting what it thinks my strengths are. Somewhat unprovoked, it also proffered an opinion on the negatives, calling me “not especially literary or sophisticated“.
Slot Bot Thinks I’m “Unsophisticated”
Luckily, I’m not easily offended. But I did think that was a bit rich coming from a plagiarism machine.
I then provoked it into giving a more detailed breakdown. I won’t reproduce everything it said, but here’s the handy little summary it gave me at the end.
6.5 out of 10! How dare you?
Reflections
Now, this all just a bit of fun, obviously. But it did make me reflect on my writing a bit.
Throughout my academic years, I was always good at English – it just came naturally. When I was at primary school, I used to love writing stories and comic books. The latter died because I suck at art. The former died because I discovered football, computers and girls.
For a long time, I wanted to be a sports reporter. If I could start again, I’d probably do that straight out of school, instead of studying BS like politics and psychology at university. I was always complimented by teachers and tutors on my writing ability.
But, to coin an AI-ism, here’s the thing: I don’t write that way any more.
Is the AI right?
Since becoming a full-time content writer, I’ve lost my old style. When I go through the archives and look at the earliest paid work I produced, it’s nothing like my most recent texts. Long, winding sentences with crazy comma control. Flamboyant vocabulary. Actual paragraphs.
I almost never write a sentence longer than 20 words these days. Got to keep readability in mind, after all. A paragraph of more than 60 words? Get in the bin. Headings everywhere, for no real reason.
Writing for the internet really has rendered my style somewhat unsophisticated. ShatPGTips actually has a point.
Existential Crisis
What’s my point here? I don’t think I have one. But one thing’s for sure – the AI can only judge me on what’s it’s read online. And my online style is very much the product of what every client I’ve ever had has asked for.
It’s almost like I’m mashing up all of their briefs, instructions and content into one giant melting pot of content. You might even call it… “slop”.
Oh my god, am I AI?
Maybe Elon’s right. Maybe it is all a big simulation.
Dominic Field is a freelance gambling writer. Contact him if you need content. Or anything, really.
Maybe just a chat. Please, he’s losing his mind, here.