FAMILY9 - Confessions of a Blogger

I’ve been writing my blog now since July 2018, over seven years - a total of 159 articles.  For the last two and a half months, eight articles, I’ve been using artificial intelligence (AI) in my research and to help write the articles.  In this blog, I’d like to share with you my experience using AI. 

 

First of all, I have long been interested in the exciting, evolving AI technology.  I even wrote a blog on the subject a couple of years ago!  So, when it became available to help research and write articles, I was eager to try it out.

The bottom line is that AI was useful beyond my wildest dreams.  It allowed me to expand my research efficiently, and actually helped me write the articles!  

But, I confess, that I am suffering some unease at this new AI-assisted approach.  With AI, all it takes is a quick prompt and it can output a thousand words on any topic in seconds.  It comes down to crossing the line between being a writer and a copy-and-paste artist:  the difference between creativity and productivity.  The AI product, while often impressive, tends to sound like a Wikipedia article; it’s not me in the sense of my unique writing voice that incorporates my personal experience, expertise, and knowledge.

This article will cover a snapshot of my blog writing experience without AI, then cover how I’ve used AI lately, next summarize what I think are the benefits of AI in this context, then my issues with using AI for writing, and close with a statement of my blogger’s dilemma.

 

My Blog Creation Experience without AI

Typically, once I choose a subject, I Google that subject, and read a half dozen sources to get a feel for the subject.  Then I list the elements that I want to cover in the article, prepare an outline, and look for key online figures that I might use.  Then I consider the source material for each element on the outline and write a draft for each outline element.  This step usually identifies questions I have, or concepts that I need to describe better, which leads me to additional research to strengthen my draft.  Having a reasonable first draft of the entire article, I then scour the internet for images that support my work.

After a final edit, I ask Pat to read and comment on the draft, after which I usually have more work to do (especially explaining things better) before posting the article.

 

My Blog Creation Experience with AI

After two years of preparation (including providing AI overviews), Google rolled out “AI Mode” to everyone in the U.S. on 20 May 2025.  As Google in Ai Mode says:

“AI Mode is an AI-powered search experience, designed to handle complex and multi-layered questions.  It leverages Google's AI models, particularly Gemini, to understand user intent, synthesize information from various web sources, and provide comprehensive, AI-generated answers.  It also allows for deeper exploration through follow-up questions and links to relevant web pages.” 

The figure below is a computer screen shot from Google in Ai Mode, with a response to my query on what is “the history of virtual reality,” the title and subject of my last blog. 

Example computer screen shot for Google in AI Mode.

 

On the left of the screen is the start of the Google AI Mode response which goes on for several pages.  On the right of the screen shot is a list of 19 sources used for the response, with a link to each source.

I will use “the history of virtual reality (VR)” as an example of my blog writing experience with AI.

The AI response to this initial query was substantial and enabled me quickly to get insight into the key elements of the subject.   I explored the sources listed on the right of the above screen shot to get additional information and to satisfy myself that the AI response was accurate. 

Using the initial AI response, plus some of the sources, I made an outline of the article. 

I then used the Google AI Mode to explore the major elements on my outline.  In this case, I sought more information in each phase of the development of virtual reality and for each major element of my outline, including current applications of VR, challenges to its evolution, and the future VR.   I also used AI mode to get a better understanding of technical terms, add examples, and to expand on selected items. 

Then I put it all together, sometimes using the AI-provide text, supplemented with additions/expansions of my own creation.

And finally, of course, I had Pat read the article and comment on it, which as usual necessitated some better explanations of selected parts.

 

Benefits with AI

Google’s AI Mode biggest benefit to me was in the research phase, providing an initial “kick start” in identifying the key elements of the history of VR (some of which I hadn’t even thought of), and a comprehensive list of sources for me to explore.  Subsequent uses of AI Mode let me bore down into specific aspects of VR.  This saved me a lot of time and effort.

I have not discovered any errors in my AI Mode blog queries, but I have found errors in personal history subject responses.

The AI Mode responses were for the most part well organized and well written.   For broader queries like “AI development since the year 2000,” the response contained logical/appropriate subheadings, making it easy to follow.  Often, the responses started with a very well written overview and concluded with a summary.

I thought that AI Mode, when asked, simplified complex subjects.

Overall, I found Google AI Mode to be very efficient and useful, and it certainly saved me a lot of time compared to researching/writing without AI.

 

Issues with AI

The biggest issue I found using AI Mode, was that responses differed when the same query was asked multiple times - not drastically, but certainly noticeably, including both the content and organization of the response.  This bothered me, raising doubt about getting the “best,” most complete, and most useful response.  I found myself comparing the different responses to the same question to satisfy myself that I was getting everything I could.

Google AI Mode explains that there is a degree of randomness in query answers based on probabilities of word sequences when AI model settings allow for more variety, comparing different responses to conversations with humans that aren’t always exactly alike.  Also, AI models interpret context of the query in slightly different ways with each repeated query, influenced by subtle nuances in data processing.

AI Mode responses do not always include supporting figures, and give you a rather sparse and incomplete group of figures.

And as suggested earlier, the AI Mode product, while often impressive, tends to sound like a Wikipedia article; it’s not me in the sense of my unique writing voice that incorporates my personal experience, expertise, and knowledge.

               

Blogger’s Dilemma

Google in AI Mode summarizes the blogger’s dilemma: “Using AI in blogging presents a dilemma for many bloggers.  AI tools offer advantages like faster content creation, help with research and outlining …. However, they also come with drawbacks, such as the potential for generic, inaccurate, or biased content, a lack of the human touch that fosters engagement, and ethical concerns around originality and plagiarism.”

And for the “Navigating the dilemma” query, AI Mode suggests that: “The consensus among many marketers and content creators is that a hybrid approach is the most effective way to leverage AI in blogging.  Instead of using AI to replace human writers, it can be employed as a powerful tool to assist in various stages of content creation,” including “brainstorming and outlining,” “research and information gathering,” and “drafting and rewriting.”  But, for “editing and refinement: Human writers should meticulously edit AI-generated content to ensure accuracy, eliminate bias, and infuse the human element that connects with readers.”

And finally, AI Mode cautions that “Bloggers should be transparent with their audience about the use of AI in content creation, particularly when AI has significantly contributed to a blog post or article.”

 

I agree with this, and I COULDN’T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF!

 

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