Disclaimer:
AI assists with the work here, but it doesn’t replace the human at the keyboard. It only helps. Every idea, edit, and decision still comes from a person. Me.
Artificial intelligence shows up in a few ways on this blog, mostly as a set of tools that help me write more clearly, present ideas better, and reduce friction in publishing.
Writing and Editing
The core writing here is mine. I outline, bullet, draft, revise, and shape each piece. Once I have a working draft, I usually use AI tools like ChatGPT/Gemini/Claude to tighten grammar, eliminate repetition, and highlight unclear sections. Think of it as a brutally honest second reader, not a ghostwriter.
I have found that my extemporaneous writing off the top of my mind is sometimes detected as showing higher AI use than work I have had AI generate from templates and forms. I have also seen AI detection software show less AI use after I’ve used Claude or ChatGPT, when I have had AI soften tone or update grammar and spelling.
After my first draft, I revise again using a word processor, Grammarly, and the built-in AI features on my laptop. These tools help me identify passive voice, weak phrasing, and unclear logic. I also use originality checkers to prevent accidental plagiarism. I don’t consider “parallel construction” a defense. If an idea, phrase, or argument is indebted to something, I try to give credit.
WordPress and Publishing Tools
Because this blog runs on WordPress, I also utilize its built-in AI features. This includes tools for:
- Rewriting or adjusting tone (Grammar, synonyms, tone)
- Suggesting SEO improvements (titles, key phrases, tags)
- Improving sentence clarity (Grammarly for the win)
- Generating images and ideas for images
- Structuring content for better readability and engagement
These tools are integrated into the post editor and help me improve posts for web readability and discoverability. The goal isn’t to manipulate algorithms or fake authority, but to ensure the writing reaches real humans who might care about it.
Images and Visuals
I use AI to create supporting images, usually stylized or clearly artificial ones. I usually avoid photorealistic AI images because I don’t want anyone confusing them with real photos. I do use photorealistic images to create things that aren’t true or obviously a riff on a theme. I enjoy photography and want others to understand my experience versus computer-generated images. Sometimes these images include visible watermarks, and other times the editing process removes them. I don’t remove watermarks to hide the AI source, and I try to label or design visuals in a way that makes their origin clear.
I also try to use image generation tools that don’t rely on scraping copyrighted material. That’s not always possible to verify, but I favor tools that are open about their training data and licensing. If I find something questionable, I don’t use it.
Why Use AI at All?
Because it makes the work sharper, faster, and sometimes less frustrating. It helps me experiment with structure, tone, and layout. It also aids in suggesting ways to improve SEO, titles, or metadata without playing games. People complained that the typewriter would ruin writing, making it industrial. The computer word processor was going to make things too easy. There are originalists, traditionalists, and those who don’t adapt. I try and then sift through options that work for me. AI is nothing more than a tool.
The ideas, choices, and voice are mine. If you ever have questions or concerns about how I use these tools or if you notice something that doesn’t seem right, I want to hear about it. I’ve had people post this essay to say he uses AI, and I’m like, duh. And they’re a moron.
Example Tools I Use
To be specific, the AI tools that regularly support this blog include:
- Anthropic Claude, OpenAI ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Meta based Ollama: Used for copy editing, grammar review, clarity suggestions, and prompt generation
- Grammarly: Used for grammar, tone, and sentence structure suggestions during final edits
- Word Processor AI Features: Built-in tools on my laptop for grammar checks, rewriting, and original content review
WordPress (Jetpack AI and other plugins): Used for tone editing, readability suggestions, SEO optimization, and image generation.These sucked so I dropped them in June 2026.- Image Generation Tools: Selected based on clear licensing and stylization, avoiding photorealistic or potentially misleading outputs, nothing people would mistake as real
- Originality Checkers: To help verify that final content remains original and properly attributed when needed (grammarly has this built in)
These tools assist the process, not replace it. This blog remains human-authored, human-owned, and human-accountable.
A comment on tone and tenor.
I write in three distinct voices, each serving a different purpose.
The first is my loud, academic tone, aimed at explaining complex ideas clearly for a general audience. This piece uses that voice to keep things simple and easy to understand.
The second voice is a sarcastic, head-tripping curmudgeon. It’s a mix of George Carlin’s biting humor, Hunter S. Thompson’s wild energy, and Sam Kinison’s raw intensity, all of them tweaking on cocaine and tequila. I use this voice when I want to challenge assumptions or cut through nonsense with a punch.
The third voice sits somewhere between Melville and Hemingway. I’ve been told my tone approximates Steinbeck’s, and I’ll take it as a compliment rather than a criticism. Here, I try to wax poetic, exploring deeper emotions or the human condition. Most of the time, I end up tripping over the rug just as it is pulled out from under me because life rarely lets you wax poetic without interruption.
Each voice allows me to connect with readers in various ways, whether to inform, provoke, or reflect.
