My AI Experiment

On my cycling website, I already wrote about the downsides & dangers of AI. Of course, many people are using AI for help and for the good. Is it possible to use AI without any bad consequences?

Table Of Contents (T.O.C.):

1. Introduction
2. The Power Of AI
   2.1. Image And Video Creation
   2.2. Article And Copywriting
3. AI Use Pros And Cons
4. How I Use(d) AI
5. The Right Choice?
6. Conclusion
7. Appendix: ChatGPT’s “feedback” 🙂

1. Introduction

I love technology and was interested to learn about and experiment with AI. Before writing about it, I also thoroughly tested the paid AI services like ChatGPT 4.0 (for text) and Midjourney (for images).

This article is the result of my knowledge & experience, and about six months of experiments. It is my opinion, based on my ethical/moral compass. You are free to disagree and see it differently. I don’t claim to be right. This is just the way I see it at the time of writing (March 2024).

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2. The Power Of AI

2.1. Image And Video Creation

I suck at art and aesthetics, so even I don’t take my thoughts on the image creation (Midjourney) seriously. So, with that disclaimer in mind, I would say that it is very good.

2.2. Article And Copywriting

One of the things that I am good at is writing – and I can say that the AI writing tools are scaringly good! Yes, for some articles (in my area of expertise) I can quickly tell they are AI-written. Even if all the facts are good, I can tell by the writing style (AI loves using “in conclusion” and similar phrases), and by what the AI puts “emphasis” on in the article, relative to the article’s title and what seems to be its target audience.

However (AI also loves using this phrase in its articles, but this is 100% human-made, I swear ony my friction shifters! 🙂 ), with minor edits by an expert in the field, an AI-written article becomes so good that I would not have any complaints. It even manages to write some paragraphs better than I would be able to write them!

So, it is good. Should I use it for articles, pictures, and even videos (once that is improved)? Does that have any downsides?

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3. AI Use Pros And Cons

I’ll first discuss writing. This is an example of major corporations (in this case LinkedIn – but Google does the same thing) urging users to use AI for their writing:

Why I think this is bad?

Manually writing articles helps me too, not just the readers:

• It forces me to think and keep my brain sharp.
• It lets me practice writing (and English as a second language).
• Helps me see any gaps in my knowledge (if I can’t explain something in simple novice-friendly terms, it means I need to learn and practice more).

Fact checking and editing AI-written articles doesn’t provide any of those benefits. It’s like playing a computer game, instead of riding a real motorcycle.

Besides, I like to think that readers would prefer my imperfections (even my “bed spilling”) to the artificial and superficial “perfection.”

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4. How I Use(d) AI

Where did I use AI? For a YouTube video thumbnail (and this article’s cover image). Why?

My articles and videos are all about sharing information and stories. Artwork is just a complement to help the visitors understand or enjoy that.

Now, my latest video about friction shifters is good (based on viewer feedback), but very few people got to see it (YouTube channel subscription doesn’t guarantee that YouTube will show you new videos in your feed – I should make a separate article/video on that). The click-through rate was appalling (the percentage of people who click on the thumbnail to see the video when it is listed in their YouTube feed).

What caused it? I guessed that the thumbnail I had designed was crap (I did it to the best of my ability, but I’m not gifted for art). So, I asked AI to make a new thumbnail – “telling” it what the video is about and what I want to be shown in the thumbnail. This is the result:

This change resulted with above-average click through rate and the number of views grew exponentially. Some people who didn’t know about my channel (and my other awesome videos) got to know and subscribe (not that subscribing alone is of any help 🙂 ).

Did this cause any harm?

That’s very important to consider. Let’s discuss that:

• I’m in my forties and haven’t managed to improve my drawing and visual design skills, despite hard work and trying. I suck at that, I accept that; and it makes no sense to waste time on it anymore. So, no harm there in terms of less practice (I could tell that my best attempt was a flop).
• The video’s quality is not changed for the worse by using a different thumbnail – it’s the same.
• More people could learn about friction shifters – I suppose this does more good than harm (the video is only about 15 minutes long, so that’s what it cost them).

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5. The Right Choice?

My websites and YouTube are non-profit. No sponsors, very low advert income (from YouTube and website monetization).

I would very much prefer to pay an artist for making thumbnails (and to pay an editor for editing videos), and just concentrate on what I do best (writing scripts, demonstrating and explaining, etc.). That is a way to use money for the good (helping an artist, helping viewers, and myself) – and I like spending money that way… when I have it (and no, I don’t think that any artist should work for free, “for exposure” – they have bills to pay too).

At this time, it is not possible to pay for that – not without making a compromise in terms of any sponsorship deals (companies generally don’t like if you objectively point out any downsides of products/services they pay you to advertise).

So, the “restrictive” use of AI seems like the lesser of two evils. For what it’s worth, I still give it a go with my non-talented-human-made thumbnails, and resort to AI only in case they turn out to be appalling. A vast majority of my videos still use such, human-made thumbnails (with all the pros and cons of that choice).

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Conclusion

Regardless of whether you use AI or not, the easy way to get a lot of views (and money) is to make fun, “quick,” entertainment-first videos and articles. For me, that’s a waste of life (not doing things that are meaningful, and just chasing money).

A more difficult way is making really high-quality stuff. However, that requires having a team and huge expenses. That is not possible without making some compromise in terms of objectivity and editing policy. I think it can also become very stressful (you depend on algorithm changes for the livehood of your employees and your family).

For better or for worse, I chose to not take either of those roads – but to do things my way, to the best of my ability, and to use AI in a way that provides maximum help with minimum harm. In a couple of years (if I live that long 🙂 ), I may read this article and laugh about how stupid or shortsighted I was – but at the time of writing, this is the best I can do. 🙂

Relja StillAnIdiot Novović,
Novi Sad, Serbia,
March 2024.

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7. Appendix: ChatGPT’s “feedback” 🙂

Chat GPT 4.0 about the cover image for this article:

I’ve created a futuristic and visually captivating cover picture for your article titled “My AI Experiment.” The image features a stylized representation of an AI brain connected to various devices and screens, all set in a high-tech laboratory environment.

ChatGPT 4.0

And this is what ChatGPT had to “say” when I asked:
“Research BikeGremlin brand and visualize your impressions?”

BikeGremlin is a project that began in 2015 by Relja Novović, aiming to publish objective, informative, and tutorial articles and videos on a variety of topics, with a focus on bicycles and IT-related content. Over the years, it has expanded but has stayed true to its spirit of providing detailed and verifiable information, a principle encapsulated by their ODEI™ – Objective Detailed Expert Information.

The brand also underwent a redesign, which involved creating a cohesive visual identity that included a color scheme, logo, and other branding elements. The color “Gremlin Blue” is part of their 2020 design, and they’ve experimented with various designs for their mascot and YouTube cover art over the years. The website redesign was meticulously planned and executed in phases, covering branding, wireframing, UX, and UI to ensure a pleasant and navigable user experience.

BikeGremlin offers content for a wide audience range, from beginner cyclists to experienced mechanics, and covers a vast array of topics including cycling techniques, mechanics, safety, and computer-related information. They aim to be a reliable source of information where users can learn how to choose a bicycle, perform repairs, enhance riding skills, and navigate digital challenges.

For more detailed information and to dive into the world of BikeGremlin, you can visit their main website at bikegremlin.com or their dedicated IT-related site at io.bikegremlin.com.

ChatGPT 4.0

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Author

Relja Novović

Relja is an avid cyclist, a pretty good bike mechanic, and a professional computer systems administrator – with decades of experience in both those fields (computers and bikes 🙂 ). Relja Novović’s credentials and a short biography