I used just one image I created with Midjourney, for a blog post. It was a fun process, but the image itself is low quality and has random elements that don’t make sense. With Midjourney, you get four square images as a result and you can request to regenerate different versions of each of them. I got frustrated thinking that I couldn’t make a small change to an image I otherwise liked, or that Midjourney seemed to only generate square images, which is not what I needed for blog posts.
I later discovered that adding image dimensions to the message creates non-square images, and while researching this article, I discovered that Midjourney released Inpainting in late August 2023, allowing you to select parts of the image and edit them separately. This is what happens when non-technological people use technology; I can’t blame the AI for that.
The most controversial subscription I’m willing to pay for is ChatGPT+, for $20 a month. ChatGPT recently surpassed the 100 million active users mark and has completely transformed the AI landscape. I’m surprised how many writers publicly mock ChatGPT, while almost every writer I know uses it, but not for writing.
By definition, ChatGPT cannot be used for truly creative work, because its output is “based on existing data and programmed algorithms.” You can only summarize, distill, copy and paste. I use it to learn the basics about concepts, devices, time periods, or events I write about, and use that basic explanation as a starting point for research. I use ChatGPT to find synonyms and alternatives to full sentences. I can narrow down studies and research articles quickly because I can search with very specific prompts rather than simple keywords or terms. Unfortunately, ChatGPT’s knowledge data is not up to date, so you won’t find the most recent studies. I love it for brainstorming headings and headings for chapters and sections. It’s also great for checking title case and correcting citation formatting. In other words, ChatGPT is my one-stop assistant instead of switching between Google, my thesaurus, my research database, and the CMOS formatting tool.
As a ghostwriter, I regularly record interviews with authors to compile the content of my books, so I started using Otter.ai to transcribe these calls. Transcriptions are generally good, but the technology is glitchy, keeps logging in and out, and transcribes only up to 90 minutes at a time, even with a paid version. Worse yet, Otter joins your meetings even if you don’t. This is the default setting, and even when you disable it, the feature sometimes crashes and causes the Otter Wizard to appear uninvited. The default setting also allows the platform to email the transcript to all meeting participants and invite them to start a free trial, which has baffled some of my clients. I’m still looking for the perfect automated tool that records video and audio separately and provides a transcript without being creepy.
My initial FOMO ended up costing me quite a bit of time and money, but it also gave me some clarity. Turns out, while I’d like to sit at the cool table, I care more about looking like myself than looking poreless. I trust my own voice over ChatGPT edits, and you should too. It’s not necessary to capture everything, as Otter’s CEO maintains. In fact, it’s the ephemeral nature of undocumented moments that makes me feel most alive. But that doesn’t mean I’ll get tired of learning about the newest AI tool that promises the closest thing to magic I’ve ever seen.
So, here’s my super official ranking of all the tools I’ve used so far:
- The most ridiculous thing: Aragon.AI for headshots
- More expensive: AdvertisementCreativeAI for ads and social posts
- Higher value: canva to design anything
- Most work to obtain good results: Halfway through the trip
- Most flawed and frustrating: Otter.AI
- More consistent use: ChatGPT
After re-posting the vacation snapshot as my profile photo, I called up the friend who’s always on the lookout for my best angles while capturing my most recognizable facial expressions.
It turns out that yes, she is hired as a photographer.
