‘Tis the season—Substack’s got a stellar round-up of advice from the many quirky corners of the platform. I pulled a few quotes that applied to AI:
You’re graduating into a moment of deep transition. Beyond difficult politics, polarisation, and a climate crisis, is AI. It is the single most important change in a century or more, and extremely powerful AI is going to be a reality in the next couple of years... The world you’re graduating into is unpredictable, so become adaptable, not just employable.
Invest time experimenting with new AI tools so you can figure out how to use them at work. AI tools are poised to accelerate almost every white-collar occupation … if you become one of the first people in your firm to master a new AI tool, you’ll be far more productive than your peers.
AI is a tool, and like any other, it should follow the golden rule: All tools must enhance, never erode, your most important one—your mind. Be curious about AI, but also examine how it shapes your habits and your thinking patterns. Stick to that rule and you’ll have nothing to fear.
…(N)ow is the best time ever for bohemians, outsiders, nonconformists, visionaries, and gadflies. That’s why we’re seeing a rise in alternative culture…AI will accelerate the shift away from the monolithic and toward the personal. The more individual you are, the more you will be immune to it. The more you will thrive. The more you will enjoy life.
As generative AI gets increasingly sophisticated at making slick, spectacular, perfect art, I believe there will be a growing hunger for the imperfect—the human. Nothing is more alienating than perfection. Your so-called ‘imperfections’ may be the very thing that creates a connection with your audience.
Speaking of the AI 'post-reality'—the next wave of AI-generated video is already making waves. My favorite? The one with the kangaroo.
And finally—bringing it home.
I’m about to circulate my latest sci-fi short story among my family (though let’s be honest, it’s not that short). Someone asked what kind of feedback I was hoping for. Great question.
First off, I totally get that everyone’s busy—living whole. So, what kind of feedback in this time-accelerated, strange AI “post-reality” is doable and worth doing?
Here’s my take:
Strong reactions are gold. If something hit you—good or bad—I want to hear about it. Whether it’s a moment, a detail, a scene, whatever, if it moved you or jarred you, that’s the stuff that matters to people.
Skip the grammar stuff except at the intersection of style — e.g., a grammar-bend done for style that doesn’t work. I run everything through Grammarly, so don’t sweat normie copyedits unless something is truly egregious.
Structure and development? I already rely on AI for basic stuff, so probably not worth chasing those. If something feels off, definitely let me know—but probably not the best use of time to go digging. The figure below is an example of the kind of feedback AI is good at. It’s solid on basics, less so on big-picture or conceptual stuff.
What I’m looking for is the human connection: emotional resonance, intuition, and sense-making. The gut-check—did it land? Did it feel real or flat? Did it move you, or leave you cold? That kind of insight is gold.
So yeah—consider this take as my own little riff on the advice given by others earlier: don’t compete with AI, don’t try to out-slick the machine. Just be human. That’s the real value-add. Your honest reactions, gut feelings, insightful takes, and weird tangents? That’s the good stuff. That’s what no prompt can generate.
