Exploring AI and Author Contributions in Article Generation
Viewing AI as an assistant rather than a co-author allows us to appreciate its efficiency while emphasizing the irreplaceable nature of human creativity in content creation.
Is it AI or myself?
The use of AI in article generation has raised some interesting questions about authorship and contribution. When AI is used to write an article, it can sometimes leave us questioning whether we wrote something or if it was the AI.
This confusion can be clarified by understanding the process of writing and how it translates into the AI context. In the traditional writing process, we brainstorm ideas, create an outline, write a draft, revise, and then edit our work. While using AI, this process undergoes slight modifications. The brainstorming process might involve feeding the AI with context documents or prompts. The AI then generates a draft based on the input. The user then revises and edits this draft, often having to rephrase or reorder the AI’s suggestions to meet their specific needs.
The AI can indeed generate a coherent and structured draft, but it’s the human touch that refines this draft into a final piece. This human involvement in the process is what makes us the authors of the AI-generated text. Even though the AI contributes significantly to the initial draft, it lacks the ability to understand nuances, cultural contexts, and most importantly, the unique perspective of the human author.
In some cases, AI can be seen as a tool, similar to a pen or a typewriter. Just as we don’t credit pens for the text they help us write, we don’t credit AI for the articles it helps us generate. The AI is merely a tool that helps us get our ideas out there, but it’s our ideas and perspectives that make the piece unique and worth reading.
However, this doesn’t downplay the importance of AI in the process. AI significantly reduces the time and effort required to generate the initial draft. It can even help overcome writer’s block by providing prompts and suggestions. But at the end of the day, it’s the human author who shapes these suggestions into a final piece that reflects their unique perspective.
This perspective provides a framework for understanding author contributions in AI-generated articles. We can view AI as an assistant that aids the writing process rather than a co-author. This way, we can appreciate the efficiency of AI while maintaining the importance of human creativity and thought in content creation.
Using Obsidian, Smart Connections Plugin, and ChatGPT-4 to Write Professional Articles
The combination of Obsidian, the Smart Connections plugin, and ChatGPT-4 is a powerful trio for professional article writing. Here is how I utilize these tools in my workflow:
First, I start by jotting down a brief note in Obsidian about my topic. For example (link to the article above), I might write about the influence of a particular Sanskrit verse on my life, shared by my college instructor. Obsidian’s non-linear note-taking system allows me to organize my thoughts effectively and link my ideas in an intricate web of knowledge.
Next, I use the Smart Connections plugin within Obsidian. This plugin identifies related notes in my Obsidian vault, allowing me to draw connections between different ideas or topics. For instance, it might link my note about the Sanskrit verse to other notes about Sanskrit literature, my college experiences, or the philosophy behind the verse.
Having created this network of ideas, I then turn to ChatGPT-4 to draft my article. I input my notes into the AI model, and it generates an initial draft based on the context I’ve provided. The model’s vast context window enables it to handle large blocks of text, making it an excellent tool for processing the interconnected thoughts I’ve mapped out in Obsidian.
Finally, I refine and polish the draft, ensuring it has the right tone and structure. This step often involves rephrasing or reordering the AI’s suggestions to better suit my needs. The final result is a well-structured, high-quality article that reflects my unique perspective on the topic.
Through this process, the AI serves as a valuable assistant, helping me to overcome writer’s block and streamline my workflow. However, it’s important to remember that the AI is just a tool. The final article is a result of my ideas, my creativity, and my unique perspective, shaped with the assistance of AI.
So, considering the above example, can we measure the contributions of both the AI and the author?
Here’s a simplified attempt which could be further refined. While this approach may not be perfect, it provides two significant insights: firstly, it suggests a self-assessment method for authors, and secondly, it sparks ideas for AI engineers to develop a tool or a GPT model that facilitates this process. In fact, platforms like Medium could potentially incorporate this feature. (As you can see below, it is more of self-assessment and doesn’t ratify anything from a copyright standpoint.)
(Final summary from ChatGPT-4 after series of prompts and iterations to arrive at some kind of percentage)
Updated Guide for Estimating Author and AI Contribution Percentages Based on Article Text
Step 1: Provide the Final Text of Your Article
- Submit the complete text of the article for analysis.Step 2: Assumptions and Qualitative Assessment
- Apply the following assumptions based on the article’s content and style:
— Nature of the Article: Type (technical, creative, etc.).
— Originality and Depth: Level of original thought and in-depth knowledge.
— Writing Style and Voice: Distinctiveness of narrative style or voice.
— Integration of External Wisdom: Use of external sources.
— Technical Contribution of AI: Role in structure, grammar, or content generation.Step 3: Estimation of Contribution Percentages
- Based on these qualitative assessments, I will estimate the percentage contributions for each aspect of the article creation process.Step 4: Apply the Formula
- I will use the following formula to calculate the final contribution percentages:Total ContributionAuthor or AI=∑(Weights of All Aspects)∑(Estimated ContributionAspect×Weight of Aspect)
- Weights of Aspects: Unless specified, equal weights will be assumed for simplicity.Step 5: Provide Your Article Text
- **Article Text**: [Insert your article text here]Disclaimer
- The percentages are estimations based on the content and style of the provided text and the application of the formula. They are indicative and may not precisely reflect the actual work distribution in the article’s creation process.With this updated guide, you can provide the text of your article, and I will analyze it based on the outlined assumptions, estimate contributions for each aspect, and apply the formula to calculate the final contribution percentages. This approach provides a more structured and formulaic assessment while considering the qualitative nature of the content.
Sample Prompt Template
Hello! I'd like an estimation of the contribution percentages between the author and AI for an article. Please find the article text and relevant details below:
#### Article Text:
[Insert the full text of your article here]
#### Assumptions for Analysis:
1. **Nature of the Article**: Assess if the article is technical, creative, research-based, etc., from the content and style.
2. **Originality and Depth**: Evaluate the level of original thought, personal insights, or in-depth knowledge.
3. **Writing Style and Voice**: Consider the distinctiveness of the narrative style or personal voice.
4. **Integration of External Wisdom**: Look at how external sources, if any, are integrated.
5. **Technical Contribution of AI**: Estimate the AI's role in structure, grammar, or content generation.
#### Requested Action:
Please apply the following formula to estimate the contributions:
\[
\text{Total Contribution}_{\text{Author or AI}} = \frac{\sum (\text{Estimated Contribution}_{\text{Aspect}} \times \text{Weight of Aspect})}{\sum (\text{Weights of All Aspects})}
\]
Assume equal weights for each aspect unless otherwise indicated.
#### Additional Information (optional):
- Details on the article's creation process, if available.
- Specific elements you think might impact the contribution estimation.
Thank you for your analysis!I created several adaptable versions based on the above, allowing for customizable weight inputs. This approach enables modification to meet individual needs until an official, more refined version, akin to a self-disciplined classifier, is developed.
Tailpiece:
For the final article as above, here’s what I got from ChatGPT-4
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