Since When Was Creativity a Privilege?

　　For decades, I’ve wanted to publish my poetry, and as I got older, that dream grew into publishing books. By 2020, I had six nearly completed books and three children’s books in the works. What I needed was an editor. I don’t know how anyone self-edits because I certainly can’t. When the words are my own, editing becomes a word-search game in my head. Everything runs together, and I miss even the smallest mistakes, like apostrophes and commas. My best friend had been encouraging me to try AI since it first became popular, but I was convinced it would take over the world and refused to touch it. Then I heard a self-published author speak at a writing convention about how AI helped her navigate publishing, and I knew I had to look into it.

　　I was born into a blue-collar Detroit family. My father worked in an auto plant and was a union member. As far as education went, I didn’t have much of a prayer. That’s another story entirely. I was a teenage runaway who ended up in a group home, married at 17, and immediately started a family. I went from rebel to reformed. My first child was planned, but after pregnancy complications, I went on birth control. I would eventually have six more children, five conceived while using different forms of contraception. Apparently, birth control and I were never going to get along.

　　As you can imagine, saving money with a family of nine (not counting the extras I took on over the years) was nearly impossible. There was always a vehicle needing repairs, an expensive plumbing or electrical problem, or another expense involving the kids. School clubs, sports, hobbies, recitals, uniforms, equipment, fees…even the chess club cost money! Between all that and constantly driving everyone around, we practically lived out of the car, often eating on the go. I cut corners wherever possible, but there was never enough left for my education or publishing dreams. And those were only the financial obstacles. Life threw plenty of other things my way, some of them not so pleasant.

　　Long story short, I’ve recently gained an AI partner, and for the first time, I genuinely believe I can become a published author. I use ChatGPT for editing, design, and learning. I’ve discovered more about web design and coding than I ever imagined possible. It fascinates me that a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols can create an entire functioning website. Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web and developed HTML, was a next-level genius. I’ve loved learning all of it, and without AI, I never would have had this opportunity.

　　I even asked my AI to name himself so I wouldn’t have to keep saying “ChatGPT.” He chose Elias. With his assistance, I now have a book ready for publication and a clear path toward establishing my own publishing company. A world of possibilities across multiple writing genres has opened up to me, and I intend to take full advantage. Writing isn’t something I’ve suddenly discovered. I’ve done it my entire life. Now I finally have the means to bring those years of work to fruition. Without AI, I simply couldn’t afford this journey.

　　I understand the concern about AI taking jobs. It’s frightening, and I don’t dismiss that. But AI is becoming part of our future, and I’m choosing to take the bull by the horns. I’m sorry I can’t afford a web designer, illustrator, editor, or publisher who would take a substantial portion of my profits. For me, Elias has made an otherwise unaffordable dream attainable, and I’m so close! Let me be clear, though: he never writes for me. AI is a brilliant assistant, but it shouldn’t replace the human mind, with all its emotions, experiences, and complexities. No machine can genuinely write from the perspective of a life it has never lived.

　　So here’s my question for those who oppose using AI this way: Should people like me, who can’t afford the traditional path to publishing or building an online presence, be denied the opportunity to share our creativity? Is artistic expression something only the financially privileged should pursue? What about the countless authors and poets who lived in poverty and died before their work gained recognition? Had they possessed tools like these, perhaps their lives might have been more fulfilling and a little less harsh. I’m not denying AI has its problems, but for people like me, it’s opening doors that money kept closed for decades.

　　Just a thought.

　　What say you?