“Is This AI — or Is It You?”

2026-04-16 · Campbell River, Canada

It’s me. Just me.
Who else would come up with these ideas, wander through all these places — real and imagined — and then spend hours piecing everything together?

I use my phone to capture what I see. I edit a little, crop a little, choose what stays and what goes. Sometimes the images speak for themselves, sometimes they need a few words.

Did I create those pictures? Not really. I can barely draw a stick figure. I wouldn’t even call myself a photographer — “picture taker” feels more honest.
Still, they’re mine. And yes, I admit, I feel a slight sting when someone says, “your phone takes great pictures.”

And then there’s the writing.

I use ChatGPT. A lot.

To brainstorm. To research. To challenge my thoughts. To rewrite, reshape, and refine.
It’s like having someone sitting next to me, day and night, patiently listening as I jump from one idea to another — sometimes clear, sometimes chaotic — and together we turn that mess into something useful.

If I had a human editor instead — would the result no longer be mine, but ours?
Is using spellcheck cheating? Looking up a better word? Talking through an idea with someone — or even working with a team?

At what point does a tool become a co-creator?

There’s another layer to this for me.

English isn’t my first language.
I’m a software developer, not a writer.

Before AI, writing often meant slowing down, second-guessing, rephrasing — getting stuck on details that had little to do with what I actually wanted to say.
Now, I write more freely. I allow myself to be a bit messy at first, knowing I can shape it later.

AI doesn’t replace my thinking — it encourages me to actively participate in the discussion.

Interestingly, the people who criticize AI writing the most seem to be native speakers and professional writers.
Some suggest I should just write “as I am” — awkward phrasing, rough edges, maybe even with a heavy German accent 😜 — just to keep it authentic.

I don’t agree.

Are my ideas not worth expressing clearly and convincingly?
Should the message take second place to some imperfections of my grammar?

If I left everything unpolished, the focus wouldn’t be on what I’m trying to say but on nitpicking the details.

And that, to me, misses the point entirely.

Somewhere along the way, we’ve lost our tolerance for nuance. Everything wants to be black or white.
Me or AI.
Original or generated.
Authentic or artificial.

But nothing I create has ever been just me.

The camera I use was designed by someone else.
The language I write in has been shaped by centuries.
Every idea I’ve ever had is influenced by something I’ve seen, read, or experienced.

AI doesn’t change that. It simply makes the collaboration more obvious.

Creating a post usually starts with a vague idea — a direction, a desire to share, a feeling that floats in my mind. Sometimes I step away for a while until something clicks, and then I write and rewrite the first drafts.

Now I'm ready:
“Hey Buddy…”

From there, it becomes a back-and-forth. Refining, questioning, adjusting. Sometimes frustrating, often insightful. Always iterative.

Until, at some point, it feels right.

So whose article is it in the end?

Still mine.

Not because I did everything myself — but because it started within me, reflects my own thoughts, and I chose every step along the way.