#why actually learn a skill when you can have a bot do it

[hackfixation]

i have an idea for a video essay about how Ai Artists and Cheaters in video games are basically the same people different fonts

[chaos-in-deepspace]

Can't believe I gotta do this, but okay...strap on in guys because this isn't only a rant, but informational. Gonna show you how to clock AI writing, why it's bad, how to abuse AI for writing, and how to prove something was written using a chat bot.

Have you ever read a fic and had to pause for a moment? Contemplate a few things? You almost feel like a few times you just couldn't figure out. Or perhaps you saw something that just read super awkwardly.

If this describe you reading some fics, then you might've fallen victim to "AI Writers". Yes, that's correct! A writer who uses AI to help them write their fics. Mind you most people when using this method actually use chatbots! So it's not like they just run into ChatGPT, give it a prompt, and then post it. Oh no. They RP it, maybe clean it up a little so it reads more like a fic, and then they post it.

If any of you are use to RPing with Chatbots like Janitor.ai, or even C.ai, then you might occasionally read a fic and realize it's strikingly familiar to chat you read in your own chats. I, for one, dabble in RPing with bots when I get bored, which is how now and days I can read a fic, see certain lines, and just know.

Now I'm certain I don't need to sit here and explain why this is so bad. However, I'll explain anyways if you'd like to hear my opinion, as well as many other artists and writers:

AI is Plagiarism!

Ya, this is plagiarism. How do you think it's generating responses? Or for artwork, where do you think it's grabbing the images from. It doesn't do it itself. AI is basically giving a program information so it can generate things. A lot of programs that uses AI, as well as websites, uses that written information to generate your responses. You know Google Docs? Ya, it can take information from your writing there. Archive of Our Own? Bingo. Tumblr? Ya, it takes writing from here as well. That means the people who have spent a lot of time on their writing, spending years honing their craft, are having their writing styles and voices stolen from AI in order to make those generated responses. Now when it's just you RPing something, pop off. It's just you and your bot. Share it with a few friends, sure! If you post it online though, those words are a mashup of millions of stories written and posted online. So it's plagiarism. Plain and simple.

2. It sets you back as a writer

Ever wondered why some people can write the most amazing things ever? It's because they wrote. They learned. They practiced. It took time and effort in order to build up those skills. They got there by writing. So how is using AI affecting your writing? Easy, you're not writing. At least...not a lot. If you use a chatbot to write half the things in a fic, you're only doing half the work. You're also bouncing off the idea from your bot and going with it, instead of using your writer brain to figure out how this scene would best be executed. Imagine it like this. Someone uses AI to draw an image for themselves. Then they trace over it, add a few of their own touches, and color it the best they can. Did they suddenly learn how to draw? No. Because they didn't take the time to learn why something is placed like this, how the composition works, etc. Same thing with writing. If you're using AI to do all the work then you aren't learning, and you're not going to be getting better as a writer. If that's the case...why are you writing? It should be a fun experience to write, after all. It should be something you want to get better at. So why are you just having AI do it? Attention? You realize your fics need to be pretty well written to garner attention, right? That brings me to my third point.

3. We can tell...and it's not fun to read

Today a friend showed me an paragraph from a fic he found here on tumblr. I saw it. Without even having to ask I knew it was written by AI. Nobody talks like that except a robot. The wording? Repetitive for AI to use. "Their bond grew with every passing moment." | "Their shared connection." | "His voice was barely above a whisper." | "It was a testament to their relationship." | "He's determined to face this challenge with her, hand in hand, and to make the most out of the second chance he's been given." | "A renewed sense of purpose." | "He's determined to face this challenge with her" If I see these lines, I clock it as Janitor in a heartbeat. Sure, not every time it's used is AI, but those are the most common things I see in every RP with a bot, and I actively need to correct the bots or else they'll use it in every fucking reply. Another thing is...RPs read differently from a fic. They're not made to be read like a narrative story. It's a bot replying to someone, so when you do that things get weird. Not to mention sometimes clothes appear and disappear, a position is changed, etc. It's just not good writing...

4. It's lazy

Simple as that. It's fucking lazy to get AI to write a fic. Trust me, I am one lazy motherfucker. I hate doing things. I want to sleep for literally a solid week. However I made the decision to write things, so I write them. I put in the effort. Other writers who don't use AI? They put in the effort. I know at least 20 people who are depressed as all hell, can barely get out of bed unless it's to go to work, who decided to still write. Not everyone is going to be a fast writer. Not everyone is going to find writing easy. If you're going to commit, though, commit to it. Write it. Don't use AI.

With these points being made, I'm sure you can see why in the writer community, it's frowned upon to use AI as well as bots for your writing...especially when you don't disclose it. I could probably put everything aside if you just said it was written using AI. Honesty is the best policy.

People might not want to read it then, but at least they know that you used AI. At least you admitted to it. Using AI and then passing it off as completely original is disgusting.

So you clocked something as AI written. You’re pretty freaking sure this was written with a Chatbot. So you plug it into an AI checker and what? No AI detected? No fucking way.

Yes fucking way.

The detectors use a range of things like: Language Model Comparison, Repetitive phrases and structures, contextual awareness, among a few other things. Now look at the "Language Model" part. What if a Chatbot doesn't have the most common language models? It doesn't detect it as easily, that's what.

Where does that leave Chatbots? Well, it means it’s not really checking for things like Janitor or C.ai. A lot of times it flies under the radar because of this. I have found that there is at least one site that doesn’t do this. Instead of more or less checks the context of the text to see if it was written using AI, rather than relying on ai models.

Quillbot

This is what I use to check. I also did run it through some tests. Mind you, not every program is going to be completely accurate. This just happens to, after thorough testing, be the best at being able to tell if a chatbot was used.

As you can see here, the one on the far left is a fic that I ran through that was my own writing. In the middle I had copy/pasted my own responses, and my bot responses from Janitor. On the far right I pasted only Janitor responses. While it’s not accurate, it could still detect human written from a chat bot!

In comparison to me running it through other AI Detection softwares (one of them being Grammarly), where they detected nothing in the post that were written by both me, and the bot.

The entire reason I’m even making this post is because I happened to come across a fic that seemed like it was written using AI, so I was curious and ran it through. Mind you, the detection software only lets you paste 1,200 words of the writing, so this was just a snippet. The same size snippets that I had put for all of my own tests. This was the result:

So we can make a good guess that this was…probably written by AI. If you’re wondering, no. This isn’t a call out post. I won’t be stating the user who I did this. I ask you not to speculate in the notes of this post either. I don’t want to cause unnecessary drama, because honestly the writing community for this fandom already has that.

I will say, to the writers who are using AI, I’m not the only person who will probably get curious. If you’re going to use AI for your writing, at least state it in the description. It’s manipulative and wrong to not state it.

I know I said AI is bad, but it's also like Thanos. It's inevitable. I fully think we should abuse the hell out of it and make it our bitch. Now how to do that without using it to actually write? Easy.

Force it to give us ideas. Once upon a time I wanted to do some writing, but couldn't think of anything I wanted to write. Sure there's prompt lists out there, but a lot of them didn't fit what I needed. So I grabbed ChatGPT by it's lil grimy throat. I whispered in it's ears "Write me some prompts."

I then took said prompts to jog some ideas in my head, then wrote my own original content. I used AI to help give me a basic idea for my writing and then came up with my own stories. That's a simple way of doing it.

I know people who will RP with a janitor bot because they have a plot in mind for a story, but are uncertain with how they'd want to execute it. So they RP with a bot first, and then once they have an idea, they write a fic based off their RP. They don’t take what the bot said, copy/paste it, then say it’s their fic. They use it as a tool to help them with their ideas. Sometimes if the bot has a really good line, they might take that singular line from it as well. That’s not taking the entire story, it’s just a line that they knew would flow with the fic, and half the time they edit the line as well.

You can also use it for story titles. Can’t come up with a title? Tell ChatGPT the synopsis of your story and then ask it to generate 10 titles for it (actually I just tried to this see the results and am currently laughing my ass off, maybe don't do this).

Don’t forget things like Grammarly. That’s also AI! You can use it to check your grammar and fix awkward wording in your writing.

There’s ways a writer can use AI as a tool. In my opinion, it’s no different from an artist using the symmetry tool for their art. Or using a 3D model to help them make a pose for a drawing in their program. It’s a tool that should be used to help and improve your own content.

[aiyexayen]

I promise im not a bot, and to prove it i'll ask for a hanzhou kiss 🥺 doesnt have to be wholesome, just whatever strikes your fancy

🥹❤️

The first time happens thoughtlessly, almost unintentionally.

Han Ying is 14 and not yet used to his limbs after his recent growth spurt. He didn't know he could have growth spurts before he had access to regular meals. But he can, and he is sure that's why he screwed up his assignment. Regardless of the reason, he is still responsible for ruining Tian Chuang's entire mission today.

And somehow, he has been forgiven. By a man with more mercy than Han Ying knows how to handle.

Anyone else, he is certain, would have thrown him back where he came from.

On his knees before Zhou-shouling, he finds himself too overcome for words of gratitude, reaching instead for the hand hanging idle at Zhou-shouling's side. He grips it in both of his. It's instinct; hasn't he seen so many servants do something like this when their masters bid them?

Han Ying's lips press into the soft skin for just a second before he feels Zhou-shouling's flinch. He looks up in time to catch confusion, smoothing into understanding and...things he doesn't quite recognise.

Qin-xiongdi tells him later, eyes dancing with mirth, that he should have pressed the hand to his forehead, not his mouth--except he shouldn't have done anything of the sort actually and he really has so much to learn about living in society, doesn't he?

Han Ying nods absently, because it's true, but he goes to bed with cheeks warm from the lingering memory of pressure on his lips and the untameable thoughts of a 14 year old mind.

The second time cannot be called an accident, mere months after the first. But neither is it calculated.

They are celebrating Zhou-shouling's twentieth birthday. Or rather, Zhou-shouling and Qin-xiongdi disappeared up to the palace early in the evening to celebrate and Han Ying has waited up alone for sounds of their return, vigilant, something he pretends is not yearning sitting heavy in the aching pit of his stomach.

When they do return it is...surprisingly loud.

Han Ying is very good at what he does, and still there are days when he cannot hear Zhou-shouling approach. The man is not just merciful, not just understanding and patient and full of barely-subdued humour, but also a refined gentleman, clever and skilled beyond measure.

So why is it that tonight Han Ying can hear not only Qin-xiongdi's clomping but Zhou-shouling next to him, stumbling?

He's out the door and down the hall in an instant, adrenaline pumpung, imagining the worst, imagining Zhou-shouling limping, covered in blood--

"'S Ying'er! What're yeu--you--out of bed! Doing! Hah!"

Han Ying stops in his tracks as a thoroughly wasted Zhou Zishu collapses against his hiccoughing, giggling shidi.

"Shixiong got--hc!--he got so drunk," Qin-xiongdi exclaims in the worst loud whisper Han Ying has ever heard. "Can you--hc!--believe it, Han Ying?--hc!"

Well, certainly he can, because it's right before him. What he can't really quite come to terms with is the fond, playful tone wrapped warmly around the unfamiliar Ying'er.

But when his two superiors almost fall over on their next step, Han Ying collects himself and steps in to relieve Qin-xiongdi of his task before he sends them both toppling to the ground.

"Shoul' get that boy some...that boy some more..." Zhou-shouling doesn't finish his thought, trailing off into a sigh as Qin-xiongdi leaves.

One hand grasping a limp arm, one hand firm on broad leather, it's quick work to get Zhou-shouling to his own rooms. But it's also so much closeness--too much for Han Ying to process: a head lolling onto his shoulder; hot breath at his neck and the smell of alcohol; warm weight against his side, so effortlessly trusting.

Ying'er.

Easier to slide under the mantle of duty and attentiveness than even acknowledge it as real, so in silence, he readies Zhou-shouling for bed; without Qin-xiongdi's energy, he seems content to simply drift.

Hydration--water droplets running down the corner of red lips, a strong chin--

Belt--hard leather hitting the floor, a quiet exhale of relief, a soft hum of contentment vibrating under his fingertips--

Boots--what if he slipped and touched that leg--what if he looked up from where he's kneeling and realised the position was just like--

Han Ying, biting down hard on the inside of his cheek, tips Zhou-shouling over onto the bed and lifts his feet up to settle him properly. He's practically asleep already, his breathing deep and slow, stray hairs wisping around his cheeks.

Hands, resting easily across his middle. Han Ying lifts them up to tuck the blanket in under them. But perhaps he has tried too hard to not think at all tonight because as he goes to put them back down, determined to not notice Zhou-shouling's exposed neck, he finds himself ghosting his lips across cool fingertips.

What--what is he doing?! He freezes, drops Zhou-shouling's hands as though burnt, and looks up, breath caught.

But his shouling is still fast asleep. Fast asleep and drunk besides, his brain finally catches up and reminds him. Han Ying lets out his breath. He has no right to such intimacy, but he's been given a stay of execution tonight. He had better not waste it.

Carefully, he flees to his own room and doesn't think about anything else at all.

The third time...Han Ying cannot even guess how the third time comes to be.

He is young, and he strives to be good, to be the best. If not in skill than in obedience. It's no longer about debt, it's about loyalty.

But he is 15, going on 16, and even he cannot beat out of himself the independent streak that kept him alive on the streets all those years.

So he finds himself again on his knees, explaining his actions.

"You are right to tell me the truth the first time."

Who would dare try to lie to Zhou Zishu?

Something of his thoughts must show on Han Ying's downturned face because the man in question snorts lightly and adds, "Not all your fellows are as clever as you."

Han Ying keeps his head bowed, but tension drains from him; he would not be receiving such praise if he were seriously in trouble.

"Your actions are understandable, but not permitted," he is told. "I expect that the next time someone pushes you to the point of retaliation, I will not hear about it."

It takes a second for Han Ying to process the precise words he's hearing. But he cannot be mistaken; there is nobody more exact with his words than the exacting Zhou-shouling.

"Yes, Zhuangzhu," he ventures.

There's an unmistakable note of amusement when Zhou-zhuangzhu confirms, "Consider it your mission."

Permission, then. Permission to do whatever he wants, so long as he doesn't get caught. Han Ying didn't think he could adore him any more, but he does. Every day.

"Yes, Zhuangzhu."

"Come on, then."

And he looks up at last, but he does not see his zhuangzhu beckoning him to rise. Instead he stands directly in front of Han Ying, one hand slightly stretched toward him, palm still facing down. Han Ying furrows his brow.

"Zhuangzhu?"

"Don't tell me you suddenly don't know what to do," Zhou-zhuangzhu says, "Ying'er."

Certainly, he isn't...?

But there's a challenge behind his eyes, sparkling a bit, so similar to the way his shidi looks when he dares Han Ying to do something a bit reckless. Han Ying swallows, but reaches out his hands; he is not a coward.

He kisses Zhou-zhuangzhu's hand and as if they have done this a hundred--a thousand times before this, Zhou-zhuangzhu detaches himself with grace and waves Han Ying to stand.

"Very good. Go report for your chores."

Reeling, Han Ying does.

After that...after that, Han Ying has the great luxury to lose track. He belongs to Zhou Zishu in a way no other Tian Chuang operative does and he may not be one of the Siji Shanzhuang disciples, or even their disciples, but he is something, and there is rarely a time he finds himself on his knees that he is not allowed the privilege of that kiss.

He is 16 and sent to his knees with a sharp word after raising his voice to his zhuangzhu; his kiss is barely-there, ashamed and still prickling with discomfort, but no less sincere.

He is 17 and accepting his promotion; gratitude wells up in him and he allows it only to show in this gesture, determined to keep composure and make Zhou-zhuangzhu proud.

He is 18 and kneeling in spite of his broken leg, true failure heavy on his heart in a way he could not have imagined four years ago; he presses his bloody lips to a hand that he pretends is not ever-so-slightly trembling.

He is 19 and his heart stops in his chest every time he sees Zhou Zishu do, well, anything; he makes every excuse to kneel in his presence, for any reason, just so he can look up expectantly for the hand that is never denied.

He is 20 and letting his lips linger every time a bit longer, leaving these unspoken feelings in the sacred space between them--the only indulgence, he has realised, that either of them will ever allow.

He is 21 and Zhou-zhuangzhu has begun turning up drunk at his doorstep, not from any party he knows about; he leaves the kiss that is his by rights even on the nights Zhuangzhu is too far gone to notice.

He is 22 and no matter how severe Zhou-zhuangzhu gets, no matter how cold, he does not forget to give Han Ying his hand. He is 22 and gives Zhou-zhuangzhu the fullness of his fealty--as if there was ever any doubt he had it--and seals it in secret between them with the briefest of contact. He hopes it is not a greater burden than it is a tool.

He is 23 and Zhou Zishu is gone.

It is only then that Han Ying realises he lost count.

Each week that passes after that, he feels more and more bereft. It should seem silly, or stupid, that he misses something so ephemeral and ill-defined, but it's the most serious thing in the world. It never needed definition or explanation. And it was all he ever asked. All he wanted: to be allowed to cherish, even if not to be cherished in return.

He doesn't shirk his duty, but he loses all trace of satisfaction in it and there is a permanent tension between his shoulders that takes up residence and will not go.

But the worst is yet to happen, because the worst possible thing is the day he finds Zhou Zishu in the forest, heart full of relief and far too much else. Han Ying kneels on the rough ground, strung taut like a bow, and Zhou-zhuangzhu...pulls him to his feet.

And again, even when his companion has left them to their own devices.

And a third time, in Han Ying's own room.

For the first time in almost a decade, he didn't dare touch his drunk zhuangzhu more than necessary to lay him down in bed.

And then Zhou Zishu walks away from every declaration Han Ying frantically tries to make verbal, leaves him there drowning in the void between them.

That could have been the end of it. If it weren't for a collective display of quick thinking and good timing, it would have been; Han Ying is not easily deterred once he has set his mind on something. Not even when faced with the price tag of his own life.

Zhou Zishu should have known that, he thinks, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking down at his...his Han Ying, whatever else he is to him now. It's not fair that he looks so peaceful in his healing slumber when Zhou Zishu is sure his own pulse still hasn't slowed from the clawing panic underneath his skin these past few terrible, frenetic days.

Wu Xi assured him that the little fool will be fine, and should wake any time now. Zishu is reluctant to leave his side before then. Which is convenient, because Wen Kexing of all people has snubbed him, refusing to have a civil conversation until he's "done right by Ying'er" and refusing to even let him at their own disciple.

What the hell did Wen Kexing get out of Han Ying when he was dying, anyway?

It doesn't matter. What matters is that he didn't die.

Zishu perhaps deserves whatever passing ire Lao Wen wants to throw him on behalf of Han Ying who is too...Han Ying to do it himself.

Curling his hand around the still one at rest, reassuring himself of its continued warmth, Zishu watches the blanket rise and fall steadily in the afternoon sunlight.

Perhaps Han Ying was foolish, but if the servant is a fool than the master is bound to be a bigger one. And he was an absolute fool to send him away, to think that if he just tried hard enough, he could truly push Han Ying out of his life and into his own, somewhere off the road to hell. He was a fool to think Han Ying wouldn't just throw himself down that path all the harder. He would burn himself out like a star for Zishu at a moment's notice, even if he believed Zishu didn't care about him at all anymore.

What would Zishu do, if their roles were reversed?

What hasn't he threatened to do for Lao Wen, for Chengling? What hasn't he already done in this life?

For the one who has never so much as faltered a single step, no matter where Zishu led? For the one who tempted him longer than he ever should have allowed? For the one he can rely on at the worst of himself? He knows the answer already.

Han Ying shifts, just slightly, but Zishu can feel the movement ripple on the bed and he is prepared for the groggy, "...Zhuangzhu?"

He has had long enough to contemplate his response.

He lifts Han Ying's hand in his own and without preamble presses a kiss directly to the back of it, holding it through Han Ying's flinch and sharp indrawn breath. Han Ying's other hand is raised as if to do something and he takes advantage of it, drawing that one in for its own display of affection.

Through it all he keeps eye contact, watching the journey of Han Ying's face--mouth open just slightly, cheeks flushed, eyes wide and then narrow, calculating too much on a mind too fresh from sleep.

"I owe you two, Ying'er," Zishu offers simply.

Han Ying's face is red but he's always been a bit quicker than Zishu expects. "I don't get anything for almost dying?" he manages with a hoarse voice.

Zishu snorts. "No. You know well that I don't reward such folly." Then before Han Ying can get comfortable, he leans in closer, lets his gaze flicker down and back up with intention. Waits for the exact moment he sees the disbelief register and says, "But this is for waking up."

It's probably a reckless, ridiculous thing to do, ducking in to set his mouth against Han Ying's and forever changing something that nobody asked to be changed. But Zishu's life is full of reckless, ridiculous things now, and he can hardly claim it's the worst he's ever done. It doesn't even rank in the top fifty. He kisses him firmly, unapologetic, freeing his hands to cup Han Ying's face between them.

He doesn't stop until Han Ying no longer tastes of salt. He pulls back, hands dropping to cover the ones tangled desperately in the front of Zishu's robes.

Nonsensically, Han Ying mutters, eyes closed, "One."

[ihopesocomic]

I honestly used to use Character AI as a form of coping mechanism with my loneliness and while I do think a concept similar to this can be helpful- I don’t think AI is the way to go. Especially, since I have seen so many cases of character theft within the website. Even people using other people’s artwork, even stealing other users’ story settings, and the things people do with it is just awful. This is just as harmful as the other forms of AI.

I am just removing it from my life because I made close friends and I found other ways to beat my loneliness. Also- it was very hypocritical of me to be against AI while using it. If anyone is reading this and is trying to do the same; I found that video games- mainly visual novels, text-based games, any form of interactive game- is a good way to replace this form of AI. You’d also be supporting creators, developers, and artists of the games- real people who made them. While I know is it hard to find real people to roleplay with- I learned to just keep looking. I have anxiety and lack of social skills so it is difficult for me as well but I eventually found friends of my own- some I met years ago and still talk to today.

It may seem tempting but in my experience, it led to an unhealthy attachment that caused some struggles in my life. It’s not a healthy or good solution- trust me.

Yep, what these two anons have to say. I'm especially sorry to hear about your experiences, first anon. That sounds incredibly rough. I saw somebody mention how these things kinda encourage and feed into unhealthy obsessions/fantasies and yep, I can concur that this is exactly what they mean.

tbh I could picture this being a hole I would fall into if I was a lonely kid in school nowadays and I think that's why I'm so vehement that it's not good for anybody. Unfortunately, you do need social interactions and relationships in order to get by in life. These character AIs can't be with you when you've had a rough day and/or you need emotional support. An AI bot can't develop and/or display actual empathy. And yes, I'm aware I sound like a character from a Terminator movie. lol

Also, yes to the part about people getting upset over the bot not behaving how they want it to behave. I feel this is part of the reason why they're eager to use OCs that people on the internet have poured a lot of thought and time into vs. something mainstream because it's easier to gather information and 'train' the character AI with.

Like Cat said, this is why we don't do in-character questions. - RJ

[dragonridernoobie]

How Optimus, Ratchet, and Megatron act when they meet someone that is forgetful but good with swords

Request open still!!!

I'm not gonna lie. I never watched Demon Slayer, but I appreciate you telling the characteristics for S/O!

Optimus

When he first met you, you where practicing you're sword attacks in the forest.

He watched you and was impressed by the sword skills.

But like all good/cool things had to come to an end.

The decepticons found optimus (somehow) and attacked him.

He wasted no time picking you up and calling for a ground bridge.

There, he interduced you to everyone and told you the story why he was here, just he did with miko, Jack, and Raph.

He decided that he will be you're gurdien and this is where you're friendship bloomed.

It came clear very FUCKING quickly to optimus that you where forgetful.

Most times he had to remind you to go grab you're backpack, lunch, homework, and even you're sword.

It never bothers him. He enjoys it since it's always different, and it always keeps him on his toes.

He confess his feelings for you and you guys became a thing.

He was 100000% more protective of you.

He understands you are great with a sword but it'd a sword.

Oh boy, did you prove him wrong.

Miko pulled, well, a miko, and dragged you into the portal with her.

You where attacked by decepticons and optimus was fearing the worse when he went thru the portal to get you.

Expect to find you missing but just finds you beating the living SHIT out of the drones.

He is amazed that you where able to fight somone almost 200x you're size but saw that you truly can hold you're own

You forgot about the fight 2 hours later.

Ratchet

Ratchet was asked to open a ground bridge for Optimus.

When he did, he wasn't so happy to see ANOTHER human.

Tho, he did notice the sword you had.

He was assigned to be you're guardian as much as he protested.

He learns really quickly how forgetful you are and it annoys him.

Always reminding you to get you're bag, eat something, drink some water, To FUCKING BREATH!

(Yes there was a time you forgot to breath)

He gets more and more annoyed with you but somehow you manged to get into this old bots spark.

As much as he hated the fact that he fell for you, you always made him laugh when you forget what you are doing or anything really.

The sword tho, he wasn't so sure about.

He was worried that you would hurt yourself because of how forgetful you are.

Tho, you proved him wrong when the tables have turned and you where the one protecting him.

He was driving you home from (work/school) and he was attacked by Knockout.

He was thrown to the ground, hurt.

He told you to run but you did no such thing, you stood you're ground and held out you're sword.

He saw how you took on knockout and won.

You definitely got a ear full about safety and how reckless you where but he also made sure to tell you how proud he is of you.

That night he confess his feelings and you returned them.

If you don't return his feelings, you are a monster

Megatron

He met you when you where taken from the forest by one of his vicons and brought to you.

He noticed that you had a sword, but he still let you keep it when he thru you into a little cage.

Thinking you won't be able to do anything with that dinky little thing.

Even tho you where assigned to Soundwave he still came by to ask you for information about the autobots.

You kept telling him you don't know who they are.

He notices very quickly that you forget alot.

He tries to use this in his advantage but fails.

After weeks being kept in that cage, he took you out and he shrunk down to you're size.

Or at lest you're size, since he was still a whole 4 ft. Taller then you.

He was impressed by you're sword skills, to the point he actually had fun fighting you.

You reminded him of his old days.

He watched how you fought and actually gave you tips on how to fight.

(No the lord scary megatron ain't being soft.)

Eventually you gained his friendship that he let's you sit on his shoulder alot.

He loves your poor memory, just like optimus. It's always exciting to see what you forget next.

He confessed his love to you when you invited you to the roof of the warship.

You return you're feelings.

Hope you enjoyed! Please remember to request any character on my list! I'm always open!!!

[yanderes-galore]

Hi!

Fandom: FNAF - Freddy Fazbear's Pizzaria Simulator

Character: Lefty

Pairing: Platonic

Type of Fic: Concept

Other: Lefty gets attached to a new gender neutral mechanic reader and tries to steer them away from henry and michael as well as trying to get them to see the two as threats and dangerous

Hey! Thanks for using the request format I gave ^^ I'll see what I can do :) This may be a bit short and I am pulling from my previous Lefty concept, I hope you like it!

Dubious on if there's dead kids in this or not, I didn't think about that in this- Platonic anyways so whatever floats your boat.

Yandere! Lefty Concept I am pulling from

Yandere! Platonic! Lefty with Mechanic! Darling

Pairing: Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Manipulation, Forced companionship, Stalking implied, Violence, Blood, Implied murder.

Lefty is a tame yandere for the most part.

When it comes to their darling they don't wish to harm them at all.

Lefty has hatred for those who have wronged them, which is not you.

Lefty may even think you're being manipulated by Henry and Michael.

In Lefty's mind, they see you as a friend.

Michael had to hire you to make this Pizza Place thing believable enough to lure all the needed bots.

Lefty may have even met you, a mechanic, during the salvage test.

If darling makes them feel safe there's a good chance they'll stick around you.

There's no doubt the bot sees Henry and Michael as threats.

It'll take time before you can even trust the bear bot.

You're surprised their sensors still work due to the shape their in.

Truthfully... Lefty is blind out of one eye but besides that everything works well.

Who knows, maybe that eye is what you're trying to fix on Lefty.

Most of Lefty's obsession over you is quiet.

When they first meet you, they watch you from a distance.

You could assume their a shy bot... that isn't entirely true.

It's more like they're studying you to see if you're a threat.

Once they know you're not they decide to consider you a friend.

A friend supposedly being manipulated by some bad men-

Lefty likes to watch you repair other bots in the Pizza Place from their stage.

They roam sometimes but they mostly just like to be quiet and watch.

They will admit... your skills are nicely refined.

When you do talk to Lefty it's short conversations.

They mostly like to listen to you before responding curtly.

The more you chat, the more they open up.

It takes many meetings before Lefty can successfully get you to listen to them.

Before they can steer you away from your employers that have bad intentions, Lefty acts very friendly.

They follow you during work and carefully watch you do your tasks like usual.

During lunch breaks they go to find you before standing by you and offering quiet chatter.

You may actually learn Lefty is playful.

Each meeting with you is treated like a play date.

Which you thought was fitting and a bit cute as these bots are meant for children.

Lefty most likely plays Hide & Seek along with sneaking up on you to scare you.

Towards you they aren't malicious in the slightest.

They act like a close friend despite being a clunky robotic bear.

It's when the topic of Henry, Michael, or even William comes up that sets them off.

They often claim they are "bad men"

Once you and the bear bot become friends, Lefty begins to try and convince you of the "truth".

True or not, Lefty tries to find evidence to tell you that can paint your employers in a bad light.

They try to make you distrust them by telling you things they "overheard".

You can see the bot's whole demeanor and tone change when discussing the two men.

They hate them and you aren't really sure why.

All you know is you should be cautious of them according to Lefty.

The bot claims they'd hurt you, that they don't really care for you.

You're just collateral.

Instead the bot urges you to trust them.

Out of any of the salvage bots, they are the safest.

Lefty would never hurt you.

After all, you two are friends!

Friends don't hurt each other...

Henry and Michael aren't friends.

With enough convincing surely you'll believe them?

Speaking of Henry and Michael, they are confused as to why you're so hesitant all of a sudden.

They've seen you and Lefty talking recently...

So what has that robot put in your head?

They could try to separate you from Lefty, but that just makes things worse.

If the bot realizes their being kept from you their hate only grows.

In fact... they may just snap.

They won't stand for this.

Not when they could lose their new best friend.

It may even get to the point the bear bot is violent and tries to attack your employers.

See? They're bad!

They don't like the friendship between you two!

You shouldn't like them anymore, right?

In that case... you should stay with Lefty.

The bear bot promises to stay beside you and never harm you.

Even if they are covered in the blood of your employers... the crimson dripping from their maw and hands due to their little tantrum...

They promise they did it to protect you, their dear friend...!

[airrec]

will you ever make janitor ai or character ai bots out of any of the characters from your fanfics? if not.. can people make them? (please i’m dying to make a Dream Blob au bot i’m on my hands and knees begging here)

In short: no. Please, please, please do not.

In long: please do not feed my fics or posts to A.I. To do so would be actively against my wishes, and even the thought of it is upsetting and angering to me.

A.I. has a lot of potential to do good – in the medical field, in the sciences, etc. There is nuance to the subject of A.I. in general. Regarding specifically A.I. art, the technology is not yet advanced enough to be used as a tool in the way that a tool is meant to be used – it is not a brush you can download, or a digital model you can pose. It is “trained” through being fed lots and lots of real, human-created pieces of art, and copying that art.

It does not learn how to use specific brush strokes, or specific colours, or how or why certain details are included or left out. It is wholesale lifting from what it is fed and mashing it together into new configurations, Frankenstein style – there is nothing creative about it. Similarly, when fed fictional writing, it does the same: it copies and pastes common tropes, common story beats, common plots, common phrasings – there is nothing of creativity in there at all.

There are currently no legal protections for artists of any kind against A.I. algorithms; the technology is still too new, and already it is causing harm. Even just on the practical side, the environmental impacts of the excessive electricity usage needed to run the A.I. is immense.

A.I. generated art is theft, pure and simple. It cannot be currently described as anything other than that. And creative writing is a form of art. A book that you pick up in an airport, or a fanfic you open in a tab on your phone, or a well-thumbed novel you found on a shelf in a café – these are pieces of art. Perhaps you do not think of them that way, in the same way you might look at a painting and say, “Yes, that is a piece of art,” but they are.

I was talking to a friend of mine some time ago, and they said (and I agreed) that writing is often devalued as a form of art, because the idea that “anyone can write a book” is so pervasive. And, yes, anyone can write a book – or anyone can write letters onto a page in a specific order. In much the same way, anyone can draw a picture, or paint a mural. It doesn’t mean that there isn’t a creative process involved, and it doesn’t mean that there isn’t the development of skills and immense amounts of knowledge and experience going into story-crafting as much as there is visual arts. Quite frankly, anyone who says, “Oh, anyone can write a book,” has almost certainly never actually tried to write a book themselves.

My friend went on to say that very often books are considered objects, just things, not pieces of art that have been handcrafted just for you, just for someone to pick up and immerse themselves in and enjoy. In much the same way, fanfic has also become a commodity – perhaps even more so, because its content is based on a pre-existing canon that does not belong to the writer. But fanfiction is still art, in much the same way that fanart is still art, and the devaluation of it and its creators is upsetting and frustrating.

I am not a machine. I do not press some buttons, pull some levers, and start outputting fanfic. This is something I do for fun, because I enjoy it. It is something I post online because I want other people to come enjoy it, too, and for it to be an expression of art meant as a part of a fan community’s expression of love for a canon. That is what being a fan is all about.

I am a real human being, and I don’t deserve to have my art stolen from me, fed to a shambling corpse spouting out things it has “learnt” from both my art and from every other piece of art that has been stolen to feed it. Anything it would say – that would not be my story, because it doesn’t come from me. It would just be an amalgamation of thousands of people’s stories, cut down into something mainstream and palatable because the point of so-called A.I. art is not to create unique and interesting stories – it is to create generic ones that will sell easily under the model of late stage capitalism.

You know, I got the email notification for this ask last night. I have my email notifs on because I spent so long being shadow-banned on this blog, and I fear missing things in my inbox. I checked my phone in the middle of the night because I couldn’t sleep, and while I was reading the ask I could hear my mother breathing in her sleep just nearby – we’re in a caravan together, because it’s been a while since I went away with my parents. I am typing this answer up from that same caravan, and I’m squinting a little because the sun is reflecting off my screen. We’re going to have a barbecue later for dinner – we just bought the food for it not three hours ago. Did you think of that? Did you think about the way that I am a person, living my own life, and now I am being forced to beg for you to respect me as one?

Because that’s what you would be doing, if you did this: you would commodify me, and you would commodify my art. It would be just another machine-made thing, not something that’s handmade for others’ enjoyment; not something that work – my time, my energy – has gone into, that my passion and love has gone into. But I am not a thing, and I resent being implicitly treated like one.

If you really want to know more about people’s fanfics – talk to them! Leave a comment, send in an ask, engage with them in some way. Fanfic is created by fans for the enjoyment of other fans, and fan communities are still communities, which means there is a social element to them. Stealing from others, as one might expect, is frowned upon greatly – they gave that to you, for free. You pay nothing for it – and shouldn’t – and now you want to plagiarise and thieve what was shown in good faith?

I suppose that, ultimately, if you were truly determined, there is nothing that I can do to stop you. You could copy/paste my works into your A.I. bot creator and go on your merry way, despite how I’ve told you that such would make me extremely upset, and that it isn’t something I want. I can say, “I forbid you to do this,” - and make no mistake I do forbid you – and ultimately I have no power to actually stop you, because there is no law in place to prevent you from doing exactly as you please.

I can do nothing to stop you except this: I am asking you not to. Please.

[doctorlombax]

An Observation on Murder Drones and the Current Landscape of Stories with Female Leads

I’m guessing most of you have probably heard of the terms ‘girl-boss’ and ‘girl-power’ within the last decade or so. I see it a lot with action-based shows that center around a woman as a main character. The idea being that in the past most of our female characters were relegated to one-dimensional and helpless love interests for male leads. Now entertainment companies are realizing that women want to see themselves as the heroes of the story, so they went ahead and… over corrected.

What do I mean by this? I mean now we get shows about heroic women who and kick and punch and beat the boys around them in anything from pool to knife throwing. The lesson that writers should have learned from the past is “hey, let’s balance the skills and flaws of our girl and boy characters”. What they did instead was “okay, we will subvert the trope by having the girl take the guy’s place, and vice versa. She’s the hero and he’s the damsel. Audiences will love it!” Well I don’t. In fact I find it to be miraculously annoying (achievement unlocked: shade thrown).

For one thing, it makes the love story boring. Why would a powerful, kickass woman keep dragging around a guy that always messes up and needs to be rescued? What does he bring to the table? I don’t see the appeal because the writers are too afraid to put in a scene where she actually has to lean on him for assistance, because tHeN shE WouLd be WEAk and ThAt’s MiSOgYny.

And it’s not just about the fact that it makes the ships annoying. Even more to the point, as a woman I find it patronizing. Have you ever watched an adult play a game with a kid, and the kid trounces the adult (because of course the adult will let the kid win) and everybody is cheering the kid on and clapping? It’s sweet and cute when that happens because the person is a child. Not so much when it happens because the person is a girl.

Whenever I see these ‘girl-boss’ and ‘girl-power’ characters who never need to be rescued, always save themselves, and triumph in the face of every hurdle, it feels like the writers are saying to me “You go, Girl. Don’t worry- we’d never give this woman character flaws. That’s like taking feminism out behind the shed and shooting it. We would never bruise your delicate ego by having her be anything less than perfect!”

In the immortal words of Uzi: Bite me.

Speaking of Uzi, let’s get to talking about Murder Drones. I had heard about the show before, but only ended up watching it recently (which was lucky for me, just a couple weeks after the finale aired). For those who aren’t familiar, Murder Drones is an independent animation project on Youtube with 8 episodes, each with a runtime between 20 and 30 minutes. Quick spoiler-free synopsis: Uzi is a teenage worker drone living in a dystopia where her kind are fighting murder bots. She has a confrontation with one of the murder bots which sets off a chain reaction of events that leads her on a hero’s journey.

Uzi is every middle schooler’s edgy emo self-inset character. She’s filled with angst, has daddy-issues, and comes with a tragic backstory that is slowly revealed throughout the series. On the surface, she appears to be the exact kind of character I was complaining about disliking. Not only is she a child prodigy (built a weapon that can injure the murder drones, who up until then were believed to be indestructible) but she’s also far braver than any of the adults around her. And (SPOILER ALERT) she had a demonic form based on powers she inherited from her mother, as well as regeneration and telekinesis abilities (I bet some of you are thinking I made up those last two for giggles).

But she does not fall into ‘girl-boss’ territory. She also has moments of genuine weakness that she does not overcome by herself. She relies on luck, and has to lean on the people around her, specifically N most of the time. This is shocking because N is her male partner in the show. I know many writers of these kinds of girl-power shows balk at the idea of the main girl character being saved by her love interest, but there you have it. Uzi also has a ‘dark-night-of-the-soul’ moment where she needs her mother to pull her out. This is not some invincible character, she is flawed and needs support from those around her.

Now let’s talk a little more about N. On the surface, N appears to be your standard bumbling male-sidekick. He’s goofy, he makes mistakes, and tends to go along with whatever Uzi decides they should be doing at the moment. That being said, the writers clearly weren’t afraid to give him moments of depth and competence. He is silly, but he chooses to be kind in a world that has been incredibly cruel. He can also be protective, and is shown to have good instincts in a fight. N does drink his respect women juice, but it’s not that ultra-processed, high-fructose ‘all-women-are-queens’ garbage. He treats the women around him like people (worth noting that aside from N and Khan, all significant characters of the show are women and girls). He’s kind to them whenever he can be, but he also calls them out when they’re wrong. And when he has to fight them, he doesn’t hold back. He gave Tessa multiple chances to see reason. When she made it clear she wasn’t going to change her mind about killing Uzi, he did not hesitate to cut off her head #ActualFeminism.

I just find it so ironic how a story that touts itself as a cringy, self-indulgent and having ‘Mary-Sue energy’ ended up having one of the most well-balanced dynamics between their female lead and her male deuteragonist counterpart that I’ve seen in recent years. Thanks, Murder Drones.

P.S. Just in case there’s any confusion around my use of the word female, this post and blog are 100% trans inclusive. Terfs don’t even touch this post.

[the-derpy-duck]

Quickshadow is amazing the essay

This is for @cayennesugar and cayennesugar only

Quickshadow is a Rescuebots character that appears in the show’s fourth season. She prefers to work solo and is absolutely perfect.

She’s obviously skilled in her craft and she knows it. She is confident and snarky but she’s also not a villain which I like. She’s not a braggart, but she doesn’t pretend that others are better at a job then her. The first thing she says to Heatwave when they first formally meet is that he is short. I didn’t really get why people shipped them together but some of what she does could be read as flirting (theirs an episode where she appears and when Heatwave asks why she’s back on Griffin Rock she says something along the lines of ‘I thought you missed me’ in a sarcastic tone). I don’t personally ship them but I see the appeal. Heatwave and Quickshadow have a very interesting relationship to me. I want to see them interact more because it’s fun.

When she was assigned to work with the rescue bots she seemed sort of upset when Blades said Heatwave didn’t like her (looking at her face she seems a bit more surprised) which I think is interesting. She doesn’t intend to offend Heatwave and probably wanted to be on good terms with him. She doesn’t do teamwork and seems to be introverted but that doesn’t mean she would be opposed to the idea of ✨friendship✨ and I do think that they would work well together, especially after the episode where she was put in charge. Teamwork is something that she did need to learn, but she still chooses to work on her own because that’s what she is good at and how she best works. She has her own system and I respect that. I also like that she wasn’t really an antagonistic force or rival to the rescue team. She was actively helping before she revealed herself and was teaching the team a lesson that they would need to learn eventually. Chase was prepared for the issue that arose when the plan went wrong and she was able to learn.

I absolutely love her transformation. It’s probably my favorite in the show because it does a good job of conveying her personality. She is quick witted and has a tendency to show off. She has a strong skill set and is well coordinated. I just really love the way it looks, it’s one of the smoothest bits of animation in the show. And her design is fantastic! She isn’t given boobs that would be out of place amongst the others and doesn’t have eye lashes or lipstick like other female transformers have had in the past. The main way you’d tell the difference in gender is her voice and the fact that the others use she/her pronouns when referring to her. Her head piece is also quite unique, the darker color contrasts nicely with her mostly white color scheme. I like the blue used for her as well, and I really like that she has her wheel on the right side of her car in vehicle mode because she’s British. She has a small amount of kibble that looks nice with the rest of her robot mode.

I like that she can manipulate her body to be able to gain speed, travel faster underwater, and even fly for short periods of time/slow her fall. She could 100% fight in a war and kick some ass. Not that the rescue bots are actually physically weaker from the other Cybertrionians, they handle environments much better than a lot of the autobots in prime. But that’s off topic. Quickshadow has one of like three fight scenes in the show. She takes on a temporary mentor roll to Blurr and Salvage but doesn’t like it because they are special. When she races Blurr she wins not because she’s faster but because she was smarter (which is a lesson that Blurr would utilize in a later episode) and the way she talks to Optimus makes me think that she is known for this. Also her message to Optimus is one of the best ways to do a ‘last time on…’ it made me actually listen to it instead of just skipping over and it’s very engaging in my personal opinion.

Also she’s British

I like her a lot. She should be used in more stories as she has a unique perspective and skill set. I also just really really like her. Hasbro please make better toys for the rescuebots I will buy all your overpriced legacy figures if you just make more rescue bots.

[annabelle-creart]

Based on this prompt

Adventure Bots!Au - "Never practice magic again"

One-shot

It was done, this would be the start or the end of their plans, everything was on their hands now, and Boulder was so hopeful! Despite the harsh words, the terrible gazes and everything, one of many dreams would come true, this will be the beginning of something bigger

With the letter opener in the right servo and the letter on the left, with their own vents as loud of mystery, hoping like if they were the only one in the universe and the letter the only thing that matters, Boulder broke the wax of the paper and started reading the letter inside, scanning the important

"Dear Boulder Clover, blablabla, prestigious, blablabla, magic skills, blablabla..."

...no

No no no, but- this was

No- this was the oportunity- I did everything right- why?

Another pair of servos took the letter apart, reading everything at once, passing her gaze from the letter to Boulder in deception, their mentor was surprised, and also irritated

Boulder holded his vents, hoping for something that was as impossible as dead felt those days

But I did everything right- it wasn't common but were the sames results and was easier- I did everything right! Even better!

Maybe it was his error to hug Boulder, he just thought it would comfort him, but didn't, like sending him back to reality, where not everything was possible but this was what just happened, this was possible despite Boulder didn't thought so

The tears that Boulder swallowed since they were a sparkling started to fill their optics, with nothing but sorrow and deorganized vents that didn't became screams or yells just because a knot in their voice box didn't let any normal sound be made.

"I'm sorry" was the only thing Boulder could understand from Pred's voice box, buried in his arms, seeking for a now impossible comfort

...

"Are you sure you want to go?" Predaking couldn't follow properly Boulder's movements, always walking from side to side of the winged beast "I mean, there's a lot of things you can do near home"

"Yes, but this is the only one that actually fits what I want to do" Boulder replied, it was obvious they wanted to keep things soft but the question irritated him

"But- you don't need to go to any place! You're the best mage I know and you learned everything by yourself! You don’t need to be in a place full of old gals to learn everything again"

"Pred, I am the only mage you ever met. Stop doing that, I will not stay" Boulder adjusted the leash, maybe too hard because the beast got her mouth appart at the discomfort "sorry, Solus"

"I will not convice you, right?"

"No" Boulder stopped a moment to look at Predaking properly "thanks but, I can't stay. I know this doesn't feel right and is stupid but it's what I always wanted, what I've learned for myself is not enough"

Pred's optics felt like a weight on Boulder, none of them were ever good at this “Can I go with you at least?”

NO

“Pred, this is for me, what will you do there?” He can’t know where Boulder’s going, it wasn’t a good place and not even Boulder knew who the new mentor could be “you already have a life here!”

“…hm, fine”

Boulder continued packing things on Solus, not much but enough for them to bring, Pred took some steps back so he wouldn’t be on Boulder’s way

Somehow, that felt worse…

“Pred” Boulder called him, asking him to get closer as they did “I…” Boulder’s words felt like a knot, while Pred’s optics looked at them in sadness “I already knew I wouldn’t get choose”

“Boulder, don’t say that, you’re-“

“I’m not talking about my skills, I” Boulder played with their fingers and looked at everywhere except Predaking, he already knew this trait, they does it only when they’re truly nervous, specially when they hided something “they told me my skills were…dangerous”

“Ah- dangerous? Boulder, you’re the best and learned by yourself, there’s no way!”

“There was. The interviewers were scared, one of them told me to never practice magic again or there would be consequences but no one told me why”

They did, but Boulder didn’t had the spark to tell Predaking that, they both had the same kind of aura, if Boulder was dangerous on their eyes, Predaking was too, and the last thing Boulder wanted was to make Predaking live with the same burden they felt since that day, with the burden of being created with sparks full of darkness

“That’s why you’re going? To prove them wrong? Because you don’t need to do that!”

“I know, I don’t do it for them, I do it for me, I want to be a mage! A really good one! And if they can’t give me that, well, I will do it by myself, I already know of someone who can help me with that and that’s why I’m going”

“That doesn’t explain why in the middle of the night”

“You’re the only one who I wanted to know”

Predaking in part felt betrayed, on the other hand, this was Boulder’s dream and they were right, Predaking couldn’t go “And what about us?”

Boulder froze, optics on the nowhere and servos held still, Pred already knew where was this going but just waited for an answer, something short, but something

“I” Boulder wanted to say that nothing would change, that they could still be something, that everything would be alright but that wasn’t true “I don’t know. I don’t know if the place where I’m going I will have the time or the compromise, and despite our time I… I don’t want you to wait for me” Boulder did as much as possible to not to cry “I’m sorry” but the last line made it hard

At least this confirmed Pred’s theory, it was a simple sacrifice, right?

“Okay” was the only thing that left Pred’s lips

Boulder made the last revisions on Solus, everything seemed right and ready to go, a hint of doubt got them unaware… but they were doing the right thing! Boulder would learn a lot and do what they always dreamed of-

A pull on the arm distracted Boulder from their thoughts, and a soft, quick kiss got him again in reality, Pred let them go fast, but Boulder pulled him again

Despite how much they loved this, it also felt like a torture, this wasn’t a normal farewell or just a pause, this was probably a goodbye forever and none of them wanted to let go

But Boulder did first, they really needed to go, and to stay longer will only make this harder for both

“I’m sorry”

“Don’t be” Pred caressed Boulder’s cheekplate, wanting it to last forever

Nonetheless, he finally got the braveness to let them go, holding his tears on his optics. Boulder took steps behind to sit on Solus, getting the leashes on place and the beast ready to go

“Promise me you won’t wait for me” Boulder asked, swallowing his worries and barely looking at him, Pred looked at them hopefull

“I won’t” he lied, even if Boulder came back in 100 years he truly believed he could wait

Boulder on the other hand was glad he said that, even if Boulder could wait for him, they didn’t wanted Predaking to stop himself just for them “thanks” Boulder made Solus gave some steps, not before saying “goodbye”

“I hope you have a nice travel” Pred waved his servo, Boulder with a last look went away. Solus ran on the deep green on the soil to wave her wings, flying silently in the night sky

When Boulder was out of view, Predaking started to tremble, falling to the ground and hiding his optics full of sorrow on his clawed servos

[toytoriyadorm]

⛺ we've talked before but Piraticus if you want! or for smth new what about Okeanos? 👀

I’ll just do Piraticus for now!!! (Can dew Okeanos rambles in disc tho teehee)

⛺ To see how our dorms would get along

Piraticus, Piraticus… that’s where all the "scary" pirates go, right? Well, it doesn’t matter to Toytoriya, all they’re interested in is their giant ships and sunny beaches! To them, the pirates' dorm and its members are just another group of people to befriend, and its dorm a place to play in.

🧸.

Lotsie considers Conrad to be quite the mature fellow, and one of the few dorm leaders to have an, at the very least, decent imagination. However, he doesn't appreciate the pranking Conrad and his dorm crew like to pull on other dorms. So what if Toytoriya is barely targeted? It makes no sense to pick fights with potential friends!

The two probably make jabs at how they run their respective dorms, but so far they haven't gotten too personal about it! Let's hope it stays that way.

Lotsie hasn't met many fairies in his life, but he does think Tink is the most wonderous one he's met! His wings, his magic, even his personality, Tink himself is the anomaly in Lotsie's daily routine. He initially saw his temper as a little irksome but got used to it the more they chatted. Lotsie enjoys spending time with Tink whenever he comes by the dorm for repairs (and probably called him once or twice about fake incidents just to hang out). He agrees with the fairy on a lot of things. But disagreements? Hmm... if he has any, Lotsie wouldn't say.

To be honest, Krok and Lotsie would get along...ok? Lotsie doesn't really know how to deal with lazy personalities, being the energetic man he is. All in all, he'd try to keep his distance from Krok, but be friendly when the time calls for it. Well, that and offer up whatever snacks Toytoriya happened to be making that day.

⛏️.

Conrad is seen as more well-grounded to Pat than he lets on, but that doesn't make this pirate safe from his brutal judgment. All that fighting and pranking, its ought to turn into a mess. And if there's one thing him and Lotsie agree on, its that messes are always troublesome. However, he does see and believe in Conrad's balance between childish behavior and adult responsibilities. Hell, some of his own dorm members are better off learning that!

Pat believes Tink to be a good repairman, and that's pretty much it! Troublemakers with a knack to start arguments are just a mess waiting to happen. All Pat is happy about is that at least Tink is helping keep Toytoriya up through his fixes.

Two solitary folks, Pat probably wouldn't think much of the supposed strange beastman other than for Krok's annoying pocket watch.

🔋.

A real, genuine pirate! Zackery is already impressed, and Conrad hasn't done a single thing! He'd probably assume Piraticus' dorm leader to be just as "evil" as him. Conrad's trickery and mischievousness would get this overlord following in his steps (much to the chagrin of everyone in Toytoriya).

Zackery would see Tink as a fellow engineer of sorts. After all, the two do have a knack for building things out of the stuff they find. However, he'd be confused to find that Tink is more... old-fashioned when it comes to things like bot-making and computer-building. Why not learn how to build some machines? They help Zackz more than anything.

Tbh i can see them doing a challenge to see if Zackz' tech can beat Tink's skills but eh. thats just my thoughts teehee.

Zackery would find Krok to be pretty amazing, actually. And by that I mean he'd assume his upperclassman to be a literal bad guy. What do you expect? He's a chunnibyou 16-year-old hearing rumors of a nasty classmate with an insane appetite, of course, he'd assume Krok was an evildoer of some kind. He'll be a little disappointed to find out thats not the case, but at least he might have made a new friend by then!

🚀.

Like Zackery, Saturn sees Conrad as one of the cooler dorm leaders. Not only are they both levelheaded when needed, but they also don't mind some mischievous fun every once in a while That said though, he would rather stick with Lotsie if given the chance to switch dorms. After all, there are only so few people in the world who would let an 18-year-old launch fireworks and explosives anywhere and everywhere.

With Tink's mouthiness and Saturn's old bully tendency to retaliate right back, those two would probably battle with every encounter. Yes, both have grown exponentially compared to how they were a few years ago, but that doesn't mean either is safe from starting a fight. I like to think Saturn usually wins these arguments, with him being more level-headed. But hey, that just might mean he's a common target for pranks!

Saturn might be concerned about his best friend hanging out with a rumored crocodile, but he'd probably calm down after meeting Krok face-to-face. I can see them befriending each other without any trouble! If anything, he'd find Krok's UM to be quite cool, and ask about how magic tastes.

🤠.

A pirate?! Sounds like something for a sheriff to deal with!

Just kidding! Winston sees Conrad as the average reliable upperclassman, just like Lotsie. He'd probably see if he can get some pointers from him on how to run a crew. After all, a stage full of actors is a crew in itself!

Away from that, he thinks it's a little funny how they both are what their outfits suggest they are, with Winston being a cowboy and Conrad a pirate.

Just like Saturn, Winston and Tink probably wouldn't get along too well. Instead of their tendency to fight though, their egos would probably get in the way this time. This cowboy probably wouldn't appreciate getting judged right where it hurt, and I don't think Tink would either!! All in all, its best if these two are kept away for the time being.

With Winston being the stupid gutsy guy he is, I can see him trying to immediately poke at the bear that is Krok (or do I say crocodile in this situation?). Of course, he wouldn't try pranking them or anything mean like that, but rather just. bother them? Asking questions Krok doesn't know the answer to, (unknowingly) making jabs at them, annoying stuff like that!

[exhaustedcreator]

Since I know no one is going to comment anything, I might as well answer them.

1) Aizawa from MHA, Papyrus and Sans from Undertale, and Brook and Rayleigh from One Piece.

2)Lighter

3)You have to take out my window in order to open it so, no.

4)I am unsure but I wouldn't be surprised if Zolgo or Cthulhu existed.

5) In bright light they are hazel. In normal light they tend to look brown or dark brown. In slightly darker lighting, they are completely black.

6)I did this because I'm bored and I have had this up for a while and decided to just do it since I knew no one would comment anything because all I have are bots and 2 or 3 actual people that follow me.

7)Neither. My hair is too short to use them.

8) 1 mostly empty and 1 completely empty one.

9)Hot coffee

10)It depends on their morals, personalities, thought process and several other factors. In other words, yes, though they would have to be a bad person or the guy who owns Twitter now who acts like a baby.

11) Art and mathematics

12)It is night

13)2hr and 8 minutes ago

14)I prefer the smell of freshly cut grass though I do like it when it rains.

15)My girlfriend has more or less adopted 13 of her friends, so I guess that counts. Though I'm kinda just the non-binary dad that lets the kids learn the consequences of their actions the hard way as I'm drinking a cup of tea or coffee.

16)Yes but no legally yet. And I have too much anxiety for that.

17) I am nearsighted but I feel like I may be leaning more towards legally blind.

18) Dandruff shampoo

19)No because I would most likely be the first one asleep.

20)Soda

21)Pokemon cards and SpongeBob monopoly

22)I am the type to avoid drama as much as possible, hates loud places and people and prefers to usually be alone. Yes, I am considered the quiet kid but not the type that keeps getting stereotyped by memes. I sit in the corner of the class, doing everything to not get distracted while I'm just trying to do schoolwork. I would also do math and chemistry equations just for the hell of it. If I am left at home and bored, there's a good chance I'm going to finish a full year class online within a day.

23)I love chilly weather. Especially because I constantly run 100°F.

24)I don't know what you would be doing but I would be laying there, trying to relax, then instantly remember I'm a workaholic and start drawing in my sketchbook.

25)Perfume

26)OC angst because why not have them suffer.

27)I don't know

28)yes

29)hellfire hot

30)No

31)I don't need music to keep me grounded

32)No. All towels are the same for me as long as they're not dirty or smell like wet dog.

33)A college career day just earlier today. I got lost several times. My navigation skills are like that of Zoro's (One Piece).

34)Deathbed and Hide and Seek

35)Eastern Standard time

36) You can change it? Anytime I tried it said it is invalid or doesn't work.

37)Not that I can think of.

38)Level(I think)

39)VERY rarely

40)yes

42)With hazelnut creamer and two spoons of sugar.

43)I can't handle them and nor am I supposed to have them.

44)A certain cousin of mine who has been to jail on multiple occasions or the guy who fucked up my girlfriend's self-esteem.

45)Somewhat but it's fuzzy. I have to actually think for a while in order to fully recall it.

46)Home Alone

47)A "goodnight" and "I love you" to my girlfriend

48)It was an accident since my mother forgot to ask for a virgin strawberry daiquiri. I am unsure how old I was but I think I was in elementary school at the time, nearing middle school.

49)I haven't tried, so I'd say no.

50)Go ahead.

here’s weirder asks

who is/are your comfort character(s)?

lighter or matches?

do you leave the window open at night?

which cryptyd being do you believe in?

what color are your eyes?

why did you do that?

hair-ties or scrunchies?

how many water bottles are in your room right now?

which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee?

would you slaughter the rich?

favorite extracurricular activity?

what kind of day is it?

when was the last time you ate?

do you love the smell of earth after it rains?

are you a parent? (all answers qualify)

can you drive?

are you farsighted or nearsighted?

what hair products do you use?

imagine we’re at a sleepover, would you paint my nails?

do you say soda or pop?

something you’ve kept since childhood?

what type of person are you?

how do you feel about chilly weather?

if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing?

perfume/body spray or lotion?

a scenario that you’ve replayed multiple times?

about how many hours of sleep did you get?

do you wear a mask?

how do you like your shower water?

is there dishes in your room?

what type of music keeps you grounded?

do you have a favorite towel?

the last adventure you’ve been on?

is there a song you know every word to by heart?

what’s your timezone?

how many times have you changed your url?

someone in your life, other than a relative, you’ve known for 10+ years?

a soap bar that smells good?

do you use lip balm?

did you have any snacks today?

how do you take your coffee?

an app you frequently use besides this godforsaken site?

what’s your take on spicy foods?

you get a free pass to kill anyone, who is it?

can you remember what happened yesterday?

favorite holiday film?

what was the last message you sent?

when did you first try an alcohol beverage?

can you skip rocks?

can i tag you in random stuff?

[cherimoyatea]

Hello! I'm writing you anonymously out of embarrassment because the subject is quite sensitive for me. You don't need to reply, I just want to share with you the comfort that your words answering a post accusing people who receive a high % of AI content in the quillbot detector gave me (note that I say people who receive a high %, not people who actually use AI…).

I'll tell you my case. I'm a person who has always liked English a lot, but I'm not a native. I'm not a native by a long shot. I've recently found myself in a very stressful period of my life and I've found a lot of comfort writing fanfiction and sharing it in this community. I don't publish in my original language because it would mean reaching a very small community, and it's a real challenge for me to do it in English and that way I learn a lot.

The thing is that I write in the following way: I write ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING in my language. Then I translate with google translator (pretty dull), and I use chatgpt to look up single words. Yes. I search in chatgpt. Because for me, it's not so clear if scowl is more aggressive than frown, and I need that help. But the help I ask for is that, some vocabulary. I have never, ever asked for help to create the story itself. In fact, each fic takes me a lot of time and work. I've spent up to a month editing some because I'm a perfectionist.

When I saw the post yesterday criticizing ai, I launched the bot out of curiosity… and when I received percentages of between 25-50% on some fics, I started to cry. How was it possible that after all the work behind it, that tool makes me feel like a fraud? I thought about deleting everything. I was ashamed and thought about deleting my tumblr account… and then, I saw your post. And I understood many things.

So, THANK YOU.

PS: I'm using Google Translate right now :P

Hello Annonie!

First of all, thank you so much for reaching out and sharing your feelings with me. I'm so sorry to hear that you cried and even thought about deleting your blog. There is nothing wrong with using tools to improve your English or to check your grammar and sentence structure.

You did nothing wrong 🫂

People need to understand that these AI detectors, including Quillbot, are easy to manipulate and can be easily confused by a combination of factors, such as typos, commas, non-native writing patterns and so on...

Even Quillbot itself includes a disclaimer on their page, stating that their detector is not 100% reliable so please don't think too much about the results it gives you.

There's a huge difference between 25-50% and 50-80%

But this is exactly why @chaos-in-deepspace and others need to reconsider their approach to this subject. They're effectively harming people's mental health under the guise of spreading awareness. Even if unintentionally. (I tagged you to have a look at this, not to call you out, mind you).

In fact, you are not the first person to reach out to me about this. My inbox is flooded with messages from users who are terrified of being falsely accused, and my heart goes out to each and every one of you.

I'm sharing this publicly now because you wrote me anonymously; I hope that's okay.

For clarification: I'm not enabling AI writers. This is a matter that should be discussed, but not by throwing people under the bus.

Anyway.

Annonie, if you're reading this: Please promise me you'll take care of your health, alright? Log out, spend time with loved ones, do something that feels good to you. And if you feel like talking, you can always reach out to me anonymously 🩷✨

Remember: This is not the real world. This is just the internet, with a bunch of strangers sharing their insights on a game that's supposed to be fun.

Don't stop doing what you love. Share your stories, keep working on improving your English skills. You don't need to be perfect; just be patient with yourself, and someday you won't even need to rely on translators. 😊

Love, Cheri 🍒

[anonthefold]

The Neapolitan ice cream of women. I am 8 games on my placements for support and decided after the first two games to literally go in blind on Juno*. I never really got to play her during the last season event because my friend wanted to play her and I don't mind waiting. I'll write something up next week when i am not so busy about my thoughts on her. I feel like honestly the hero is boosting me. I went right through plat into predicted diamond (which one of my friends has been convincing me that I should be in despite my belief that i am a plat support) and in Open queue I am almost within top 500 (the format is silly and shouldn't be taken seriously because it boils down to 3 tanks 2 supports and has a significantly less amount of overall players. however I have a lot of fun playing it because of that). Surely my thoughts will be outdated because i believe the mid season balance is coming this week and as much as I like playing Dva I would like to not play Dva anymore ok? I could stand for a Winston meta if Dva was nerfed slightly because he isn't as easy to get value like she is and literally every gold+ rank game I have been in has been swapping to DVa because they swap to DVa. It is like when Mauga released. I don't mind tank role these days but I dislike how narrow your options truly are. Plus you kind of have to be a generalist because one tricking on tank is pretty ass this season (thanks to the Roadhog who threw my last DPS comp game on Gibraltar because he can only play hog into an ana/dva. Additionally my mental is kind of tightening up on every role EXCEPT support. I still have to prepare myself to queue support and it is why I am floundering on doing my placements. I don't know why it is so nerve wracking outside of it being my perceived main role. Speaking on that I am a support main and always have been since OW1. I am part of a few different Overwatch discord servers and there is one I am semi active in that is mostly bronze/silver. I usually queue DPS with them because i am closest to their rank on DPS and it would make the games fairly balanced. They all thought I was a dps main.... until like last month. When we were on Blizzard world and I queued all roles and got support. I was like prepare for a sweaty game (this was season 11 btw) and they instantly thought I was going to play moira or mercy. Let's just say 35 elims 0 deaths and 15k healing/10 mins on Illari later they realized that I was, in fact, a support main (or at least an Illari main which is kind of like saying I play DPS with healing capabilities). Three games later I got support again on Shambali attack and went Ana then they got the full breadth of Gold/Plat supports. I felt like I was playing against bots and I know that doesn't sound nice but that lobby was really mostly bronze silver players. I think their mercy was the gold equivalent of me but Mercy doesn't have nade or sleep darts or my slightly above average tracking and accuracy. I kind of just stunned the 4 other people i was stacking with that game. another 0 deaths game 10k/10 with 5200 damage and 29 elims. I also slept 2 genji blades and 1 shatter (that one was lucky). I know I said it was easy and the stats kind of contradict that to a degree but I played that entire match not feeling pressured at all. Not my best performance but still reasonable. Anyway enough padding my own ego. I played in a 3 stack of masters players last week and I learned real quick how much I have to learn because my rotations were too slow, my accuracy needs improvement, and everything is just a little too intense for me at my current skill level (i.e. overwhelming). So yeah, still painfully average player.

*the restraint needed to not say "raw dogging Juno in comp" was enough to compromise with myself to put it in a footnote and not in the actual body of text.

[jcmarchi]

Embracing AI as a partner, not a replacement

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/embracing-ai-as-a-partner-not-a-replacement/

Embracing AI as a partner, not a replacement

This article comes from Jennifer Ryan’s insightful talk, ‘Beyond the bots: Balancing technology with human connection’, at the 2024 Austin Sales Enablement Summit, hosted by our sister community, Sales Enablement Collective.

Let’s start with the million-dollar question in sales today: How can we fully capitalize on the potential of artificial intelligence without losing the essential human elements that drive real connections and impact? 

There’s no denying the awesome capabilities AI brings to the table – automating tasks and augmenting our productivity in powerful ways, but we can’t just hand over the keys to the machines entirely!

We have to be intentional about finding the right balance, using AI as a complementary partnership that expands what we can do as humans rather than replacing us altogether.

As someone obsessed with the world of tech and machine learning, I’ve witnessed firsthand the fears and resistance new technologies often breed. That knee-jerk “Rise of the Machines” mentality is natural, but misguided. 

When leveraged correctly, AI can be an incredibly skilled copilot, not the one actually taking the controls, so let me share my journey and key insights for striking this all-important balance…

My journey with technology as an enabler

My journey actually began in the IT world, where I got hands-on experience with everything from machine learning and RPA to coding. 

So I was primed and ready when AI started taking off. While everyone else was nervous, I was like a kid in a candy store – just super eager to explore the possibilities!

What I realized early on is that the key for getting people on board is to tap into their emotions with a clear, compelling “Why?” – the bigger vision and aspirations that these new capabilities can help achieve. 

As the famous “Golden Circle” concept teaches us, people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.

The 5 key components for transformation  

Speaking of visions, I want to introduce a hugely valuable framework for making transformational changes happen when implementing new technologies and strategies. 

There are five key components:

A clear vision that paints the vivid picture of what you’re working towards

The skills and knowledge required to execute on that vision 

Proper incentives to motivate people to make the change

Having the necessary resources and tools in place

A solid, communicated action plan with clear steps

No vision? You’ll cause confusion. Lack of skills? Anxiety kicks in. 

Poor incentives mean resistance, limited resources lead to frustration, and no action plan creates widespread friction.

The beautiful thing about this framework is that by diagnosing the emotional undercurrent, you can pinpoint which specific component may be missing and directly address it. 

Is there confusion on the team? Time to cement and communicate that overarching vision. Feelings of anxiety? Shore up the skills through training and enablement. 

So from an enablement standpoint, we need to make sure we have all of those components solidly covered as part of any major change initiative. 

With a clear roadmap that leaders communicate consistently from the top-down, you’re much more likely to achieve real transformation versus just surface-level change.

Using AI as a helpful partner, not a replacement

Now let’s dive into what this “balancing human and technology” mindset actually looks like when it comes to infusing AI into your organization. I love using the Roomba analogy.

Think about it – most of us would feel perfectly comfortable letting a robotic vacuum cleaner handle the basic, routine vacuuming tasks around the house, right?

But let’s say there’s a red wine stain on the living room carpet, you probably wouldn’t just let a Roomba have at it, would you? 

That’s a job requiring some higher-level thinking, instructions on specific chemicals and techniques, and ideally human intervention to properly clean and treat the stain.

It’s the same with AI. There are certain tasks and processes that are prime candidates to hand off to AI systems – things like:

🤖 First-pass analyses of data to surface insights 

🤖 Generating drafts of content like emails, outlines, and proposals

🤖 Handling routine customer service queries and answers

🤖 Streamlining and automating repetitive back-office tasks

For these types of activities, AI can be the modern-day “Goose” to our “Maverick” (bonus points if you get that Top Gun reference). A highly capable copilot that expands what we can do, but doesn’t actually take the controls.

At the same time, we can’t just abdicate all high-level strategy, critical thinking, and key decision-making to the machines. 

Those are the situations demanding our full human faculties – skills like:

🧑 Applying contextual knowledge and reading between the lines

🧑 Conveying emotional intelligence, empath, and human connection 

🧑 Exercising subjective creativity and personal judgment

🧑 Envisioning new imaginative ideas from a blank slate

The “business mullet” mindset  

Even as we look to capitalize on AI’s potential, we have to be very mindful not to lose the essential human elements that customers and employees crave – the emotional connections and personal experiences that transcend any technology.  

You’re probably thinking, “Well obviously we’re not going to be replacing people with robots on my team,” but it’s an easier trap to fall into than you may think.

I like to refer to this as having a “business mullet” mindset. (For those who missed this iconic 80s hairstyle, a mullet is business in the front, party in the back).

We often take that mindset when making assumptions about the personas of people in certain roles or professions. For example, they’re an accountant, so they must be perfectly analytical and process-oriented, or, they’re in sales, so they’re probably an extroverted “people person.”

But here’s the thing – that’s just the business persona on the surface, dig deeper and you’ll find dynamic, multi-dimensional personalities across all these roles. 

I’ve met accountants who are raging rock stars on the weekend and sales reps who are introverted bookworms.

The point is, we’re all humans first, with endless layers of quirks, interests, emotions, and stories underneath those business roles and stereotypes. If we want to truly connect with people in an authentic and engaging way, we have to tap into that vibrant personal side.

That’s why I’m a big believer in the principles of emotional design. The research shows we’re much more prone to be motivated, retain information, and embrace changes when logic and factual reasoning is paired with emotional storytelling.

So I use AI tools to generate things like titles, outlines, visualizations, and so on, always making sure to anchor them in real personal contexts and narratives.

It’s all about bringing the “mullet” to the forefront, keeping that delightful party side well-integrated with the business we do.

Conclusion  

At the end of the day, my core philosophy is this: 

We should be strategically utilizing AI and other advanced technologies to become more efficient, more effective, and to expand our capabilities in exciting new ways. 

But we also have to be extremely intentional about how we deploy and interact with them. 

We can’t just flip a switch towards machine-driven automation at the expense of losing essential human elements like creativity, emotional intelligence, and personal connections.

Nor can we bury our heads in the sand, shunning the productivity benefits these tools provide.

It’s a balance, a partnership, where AI handles specific tasks to free us up for bigger-picture, higher-order work. 

Where we focus our human strengths on the aspects that technology can’t easily replicate while leveraging AI as a complementary “co-pilot” to make us both stronger.

So, I urge you to take a hard look at your current AI strategy. Where are you using these technologies for pure tactical support? And where can you actually invest in elevating your uniquely human abilities that no AI can ever replicate? 

Strike that balance consciously and purposefully, and you’ll be unstoppable.

[frozenartscapes]

I've always maintained that AI could be a useful TOOL if it is used appropriately and responsibly. No one likes writing little product descriptions for websites, so a chatbot could help get you started. Or how many times has an artist had an idea in their head but just cannot find the reference images needed to get it started? Imaging AI could help create that. But the important thing is that whatever AI produces isn't taken as the final product. It is there to assist, not outcompete. (Especially Art AI, since we're still at that stage where it is blatantly ripping off actual artwork. If artists get in trouble for plagiarizing someone else's work by just reproducing/doing something obviously similar, then that logic should also extend to AI.)

Right now AI is being billed as "the thing that will replace artists" by both sides of the argument. People against AI see it as the ultimate evil, sent out to obliterate creativity as we know it. People for AI see it as a godsend that will not only free up time and money, but will also raise "untalented" people up to the same level as artists who have trained for years in their craft. Both of these thoughts are extremes, yes, however one is maintained by the current ruling class (the bosses, managers, CEOs, etc.) and the other by those immediately affected by the changes - the ones losing their jobs to AI, or being told to use it despite the moral grey area around it. Everyone else falls in the middle somewhere, and unfortunately, the pro-AI side is very good at gently convincing people that it is for the best. It's hard to get people to see the problem when they can immediately benefit from the new system. Because now suddenly everyone can immediately whip up their own artwork, or have a bot write a paper for them. It's like any new technology: it makes their lives easier, so what's the problem?

I'm going to use an example a little closer to our time period: photography. There was a huge push back against digital photography when it was first introduced. Many famous photographers flat out refused to use digital cameras. Film was regarded as the highest standard, while digital was something "lesser" and mundane. Which...is kind of true. Film photography requires a higher skill level. Not just on the developing end, but also in general maintenance, and the actual photo taking. With a digital camera, you've essentially got an infinite number of chances to take the perfect shot. You can fuck up the exposure, or the shutter speed, or the composition any number of times and try again with no consequence. But with film, you've got as many tries as the film you've got with you. If you fuck up, then you've missed the shot. It is an unforgiving hobby if you don't know what you're doing, which is why people actually needed to learn the basics of what makes a good photo.

But that was just shooting raw. Editing is where we really get into the debate. Film could be edited, but that required even more skill. That was limited to only the most professional of photographers - the ones with actual darkrooms and proper knowledge of how different levels of exposure can change the final developed photo. For most people, photo editing and manipulation wasn't possible until a fun little program took over the digital scene: Photoshop.

Photoshop changed everything about photography. And digital art, too. It affected so much it literally became the term for manipulating digital images. You don't say "photo edited" - you say "Photoshopped". Between Photoshop and the constantly improving digital camera market, film photography quickly fell away to obscurity. Of course, film photography is still a thing, but it is not seen as industry standard anymore. It is a niche, a hobby, largely due to its difficult-to-enter nature. Digital photography, on the other hand, is much more accessible. Nearly every camera produced - including the ones from famous film brands like Hasselblad, Leica, Fujifilm, Kodak - is digital. And Photoshop elevated everyone's skills in the editing front.

Photoshop was never created to be a malicious program, designed to put film photographers out of work. It was created to make their lives easier. And the lives of anyone interested in photography. And it does make things easier, again combined with the forgiving nature of digital photography. It was a useful TOOL there to improve people's creativity and expression.

But there were some drawbacks. It was expensive. And it was difficult to use. There was still a learning curve to using Photoshop that limited its effectiveness for some people. And it still does. I went to photography school for two years and I still don't know all the ins and outs of Photoshop. It is a scary, complicated program that (now more than ever) costs an arm and a leg so for most people, it is still inaccessible. That's why we're not seeing a new shift to people using their phones to take most of their photos, and to do most of their editing. At least, for the general population.

But there is a cautionary tale with Photoshop, and Adobe specifically. And this is something to think about for AI, as well. Adobe recent came under fire for discreetly changing their user policy to add a clause that they (Adobe) are allowed to use any work created with any of their programs for whatever they want - which, in this instance, is largely for AI training. Oh, they don't own the work (yet) but they can just use it... And not credit the artist. And because Adobe and Photoshop have so deeply ingrained themselves within the industry, no one can do a damn thing about it. Some artists are switching, but all of the major studios and companies won't. It would be way too much work to find something new and retrain thousands of workers. Plus, because of how aggressive Adobe is about cornering its market, most similar programs just don't cut it compared to the power of Adobe's software. Think about .pdf files. How many people use them for documents? How many industries use them? They are literally the file-sharing format for most government agencies and corporations. And they are an Adobe product. Think about the implications there. Maybe the Internet Elders remember how greatly things changed once Adobe no longer supported Flash - now imagine if they ever decided to change up .pdfs.

My main concern with AI is where it will go from here, in the next decade or so. AI may not be like a giant, incredibly faulty and dangerous weaving machine being rolled out in a textile factory to speed up production. AI won't literally rip children apart when it breaks and needs fixing. But AI is still slotting into that roll in the modern workforce: it is a new machine that can do its tasks faster than a human can (whether or not it is better is up for debate). Take a look at manufacturing now - machines are here to stay. As is AI. Like it or not, it's here. However, how we move forward is important, and right now we are setting things up on very shaky foundation. AI is currently on track to replace a lot of creative jobs. Writers, graphic designers, artists, photographers, etc. And right now, this is seen as a good thing by the corporate ruling class. For every job that can be done by AI instead of an actual human, then that is a salary they don't have to pay. Again, it doesn't have to be this way: AI can be used alongside these specialized trades to speed things up, and increase productivity. But a lot of people are already making the jump to "we'll just get the computer to do it".

Right now, it is so easy to do that. It is so easy for anyone with a computer to call themselves an artist. It is so easy for people to not study, to not think, and to rely on computers to do the tasks for them. Just like with digital photography, it has opened up a new creative avenue to a lot of people. But unlike digital photography, it takes far less skill and isn't as strictly paywalled. Yet.

Watch - in a few decades, once most people have given up actually training in creative fields and society has come to rely heavily on AI - once most actually skilled people have disappeared - that's when the price will go up. Like Photoshop and Adobe, once AI is the industry standard and commonplace in people's day-to-day lives, it will suddenly start to get expensive. AI is (mostly) free to use right now. It won't be. Not in a post-capitalist hellscape like ours. They'll start charging for it. Just a little, then a little more, then more. Then more. But people need it, so they'll keep paying for it. And rather than actual skilled people who have trained and studied and devoted their time and energy in order to produce things for other people, that money will go to some tech billionare's tenth yacht fund. It will go into a corporation's profit, which is an abstract number our current economic system dictates must always go up, regardless of the human sacrifice needed to make it so. They won't stop until they've squeezed every stone dry.

AI may not literally be a child-killing monstrosity of a machine rolled out onto a factory floor to replace skilled workers. But it has the potential to figuratively be one. Only in this instance, rather than ripping apart the small children forced to crawl inside to clear a stuck mechanism, it will rip apart people's desire to actually learn the skills it is replacing. And once it is the only game in town, there will be no going back.

anti-ai people need to understand that the opposition communists have to luddism and reactionary sentiment isn't like, a moral one. the main problem with luddism is that it doesn't actually work. like when we say 'we mustn't try to fight against technology itself, we need to fight against the social system that makes it so that advancement in technology and labour-saving devices lead to layoffs' the reason we're saying it is because, if you try fighting the technology, you're going to lose, and you're still going to lose your job too. when you say 'yeah i understand your criticism but I'm still going to fight against AI' you very clearly did not understand the criticism, because the point is that it isn't even in your own self-interest, because it will not work. the fact that, even if it did work, it would only mean maintaining a privileged strata of 'skilled labour' above other workers is secondary -- because, again, flatly resisting technological advancement has never worked in history.