Note on the notebook: Monday Notes are a weekly writing routine: part journal, part forced writing practice.
Alongside Monday Notes I publish essays on society, culture, technology, creativity, and parenthood.
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Over the weekend I posted a very long article on AI writing.
The crux of my thoughts are - I don’t think that AI writing is going to go anywhere. In that, I think it’s now here to stay. But I’m also not bullish that it’s going to get much better.
What I didn’t get to (or really have the capacity to go into as the article was already 4,400 words long) was the context of AI writing matters a lot.
If I need a recipe to make cacio e pepe - I’m kind of fine with this being quickly pushed to me through an AI summary.
But, if I’m reading a recipe that talks about how cacio e pepe was something they ate at their nonna’s house and it brings up such sweet memories but the whole thing has the air, style, and structure of AI - I’m going to hate it.
Authenticity is eroded any time it is touched by AI. Because I have literally zero way of knowing how much AI was involved. I also end up feeling like I’m talking to a robot, rather than a unique human being with real experiences.
This is particularly egregious for writing that is innately personal or sensuous like travel and food writing. Telling me about the unique experiences you had somewhere while travelling, or what you ate and what it smelled like, and then putting that through an AI filter is such a shame.
Can you imagine what Anthony Bourdain’s would think of AI writing?
Bedside table
Almost done with Ishiguro’s Remains of the Day but this week has been terrible for finding time to read.
At the moment I’m also reading a lot about Meta, AI, and the attention economy for a piece I’ll be publishing next month.
Field notes
The Abbey Medieval Festival has been running for 35 years.
I went as a kid and remember it fondly because I was, at the time, obsessed with archery.
It’s pretty amazing to think this thing has been running almost as long as I’ve been alive. It probably turns a nice little profit, but I suspect it’s mostly in existence because people love it. There are dozens of stalls and exhibits that are just everyday people showing you what they love - whether its Viking blacksmithing or leather working, or making mead.
Most everything these days is heavily monetised, or for a purpose other than just the sake of it. There isn’t enough of this kind of passion in the world.
Good things
It’s been pretty wild to go through my childhood notebooks. You can see my brain on the page as it develops in real time.
I just refilled my adult notebook - a Grand Voyageur from Paper Republic - with some new string and paper.
I’ve had a notebook on me for years now. At first, it was aspirational. I thought if I carried it, I’d start making notes. It actually took a few years before this stuck and was helped along by the advent of AI when I began to worry I might never write with a pen again.
Eventually, it became second nature to write on paper. Thoughts, ideas, brilliant strikes of genius. There’s even evidence that handwriting is way better for congnition.
-WSS
I publish two longform essays a month and notes every Monday.