Author: Tony Trott

You know? I was thinking recently that if I had some kind of AI (Artificial Intelligence) app, I could just press a button and have it write a blog or why stop there? Why not have it create the entire Newsletter? It would save a lot of time and effort. Then I thought that that would be cheating though, and besides I really don’t think that AI would be able to come close to writing about somebody’s personal experience living with a disability.

Personal experiences are just that, personal. And your perspective may be different from mine, but does that make either of us wrong? No, it just makes us different.

I admit that I have not tried out all the latest and greatest types of AI, and I certainly make no claim about being an experienced user. There are some programs that are extremely helpful and/or useful and, of course, they are continually improving. Similar to video games that have changed from your basic Pong to the incredible graphical games of today, AI is sure to change.

I did try out ChatGPT as I was writing this blog, but did not get too involved or experienced with it. I did ask it if it could write me a paragraph about using a wheelchair and here’s what it came up with:

Using a wheelchair can be a challenging experience, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. It can give you the freedom and independence to explore the world and to lead a more active lifestyle. It can also provide an opportunity to meet new people and make new friends. The experience of learning how to use a wheelchair can be difficult, but with practice and patience, it can become second nature. It can also be a great way to stay fit and healthy, as wheelchairs provide excellent exercise opportunities. All in all, using a wheelchair can be a great way to increase your quality of life and to take control of your mobility.

So, while not technically wrong, it does have a slightly non-personal feel to it. And it is dependent on what you ask. For instance, I asked about a wheelchair in general not a motorized wheelchair. So, it is likely that by not including motorized wheelchair the sentence on having a wheelchair to “stay fit and healthy” came up. I must keep trying.

There is a lot of discussion in the media and the education community regarding using AI for written text. At this point, I can see the pros and cons. For now, we will independently be writing the newsletter. But I can see in the future, writing a blog and using AI as a jumping off point. There is nothing wrong with brainstorming ideas and getting perspectives if you put it together and use your own work as the foundation.