NOTE: This post was written entirely by a human author—yours truly—without any assistance whatsoever from AI, automated writing, automated editing tools, or machine learning algorithms.

If somebody had told me a few years ago that in the near future I’d be posting fairly consistently on my own author’s website/blog, I would’ve shrugged it off & smiled to myself.

If that same person had also told me that in May 2025 I’d start adding a note at the top (“This post was written entirely by a human author—”) I would’ve grimaced & argued, “Yeah, right. The tech’s still too crude to…”

Yet, here I am, like many of us, reeling from the barrage of news about the encroachment of AI into nearly all facets of our lives as the winds of change swirl around us.

One thing helping me navigate this time of uncertainty in the self-publishing world is finding sources that wear both hats—indie author & technologist. Recently R.A. Dines posted an interesting series of comments on Threads presenting a clear take on when AI is appropriate to use (as in deep analysis & research, particularly in the medical field) & when it certainly is not (as in creative works). In addition, her own website juxtaposes her two career paths in a clear & concise way.

It’s all too easy these days to drift into one camp or another when it comes to reacting to change. In this case, one person might throw up their hands & reject nearly everything about AI while another might simply shrug off the potential pitfalls as a byproduct of technological advance.

But I vote for a more evenhanded assessment of the situation in order to lay out a reasonable, reliable course through uncharted waters.

Keep you posted.

Drew

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Please consider checking out Lee Hall’s excellent video review, especially the first book he includes on his short list of memorable indie reads—uh-huh, that would be Pearl Fields and the Oregon Meltdown.