Challenge accepted eric

So I came across Eric’s post about going 2 weeks without AI in WA blogs, and I’ll be honest… it made me stop for a second.

Not because I disagreed right away, but because I could already tell this was going to stir things up. And after reading through the comments, yeah… it definitely did.

If you haven’t seen what I’m talking about, here’s the post that kicked it all off:
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/ericcantu/blog/how-about-a-half-month-with-no-ai-in-wa-blogs-anyone-bueller

I get where he’s coming from. I really do. There’s been a shift lately where you can almost feel when something is written by AI, especially inside WA. It’s not even subtle anymore. You read the first couple lines and you already know what you’re dealing with.

At the same time, I’ve also been on the other side of that fence. I’ve used AI, I still use AI, and I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out where it actually fits and where it just makes things worse.

So instead of debating it back and forth, I figured I’d just take a different approach.

I’ll accept the challenge.

But I’m going to do it my way.

By writing about 6 random topics. Let's begin!

Topic #1 – TOAST

How do you spell Most? M-O-S-T! How do you spell Coast? C-O-A-S-T! How do you spell Boast? B-O-A-S-T! How do you spell Roast? R-O-A-S-T!

Now, what do you put in a toaster?

If you said “toast”, you're forgetting the step before it turns into that. It's actually bread. But let me tell you a little bit about toast. I like toast. Or at least, I like it mostly for sandwiches, and especially when it's a BLT. But if I'm going to be honest, I prefer buns over bread, because there's more to “toast”, especially garlic toast.

Alright, now let me move onto topic #2.

Topic #2 – BOUNCERS

When I think of bouncers, I’m instantly looped back into my time working as one in Edmonton, Alberta. It actually started back in my college days, and at the time I didn’t really think much of it. I was just another 20-something walking back through the mall and parking lot on my way to a pretty cheap apartment I had.

There was a hotel in that parking lot, and inside it were two places. One was a bar where the Hells Angels hung out, and the other was a strip club. I didn’t go looking for it… I kind of just stumbled into it. I remember seeing the name “Pinky’s” and thinking, what’s this place all about? By the time I figured it out, I was already inside with some friends, sitting front row, and somehow nobody even checked ID.

A week or so later, I went back… this time with a resume. Next thing I know, I’m getting paid $12 an hour to stand at the door and decide who gets in and who doesn’t.

And that’s where things got interesting.

I had already worked security at the college, so I understood pretty quickly how to deal with people, especially when alcohol was involved. But there’s a difference between knowing how to handle a situation and actually being in one night after night.

The older crowd would push their limits a bit, but most of them would back off once you stood your ground. The younger ones were different. There was always something to prove, always that edge where things could turn quickly.

I only stayed at that particular place for about three weeks. Between school, the late hours, and trying to function like a normal human being, it just didn’t work. But I stayed in the bouncing world for about three years total.

Looking back now, I don’t miss it.

Some bouncers act tougher than they are, and some don’t have to act at all. Either way, it’s a job that takes a certain type of person, and I’m glad I moved on from it when I did.

Topic #3 – AI

Again, thanks to Eric, I’m forcing myself to write without the aid of AI.

This topic is very touchy here within WA, and for good reason. On one side, you’ve got people who feel like it’s being overused, and on the other, people who are finally able to create content in a way that didn’t feel possible before.

And honestly, I get both sides of it.

I’ve seen comments that feel more AI-generated than the blogs themselves, and that’s where things start to feel a bit off. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go through that phase myself early on. There was a time where it was easy to just generate something and think, “yeah, that works,” and move on.

Over time, though, I started going back through my own content and realizing something was missing.

It didn’t sound like me.

So I started fixing that. Not by removing AI completely, but by changing how I used it. Instead of letting it do everything, I started using it more as a cleanup tool. Something that helps structure ideas, tighten things up, and make it easier to read… but not something that replaces the thinking.

Because that part still has to come from you.

I don’t copy and paste anymore. Everything gets looked at, adjusted, sometimes rewritten entirely. If the idea isn’t mine, then there’s no point in publishing it.

And I also know what AI can’t do, which is something I’ve already talked about before:
https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/jdenesovych/blog/what-ai-can-really-do-for-you

So where I land on this is pretty simple.

Use it if you want. Don’t if you don’t.

Just don’t let it replace you completely, because people can tell when that happens. And if there’s no engagement, no comments, no real connection, that’s not the tool… that’s how it’s being used.

Topic #4 – BALLOONS

Did you know I’ve never been in a hot air balloon? I can get Image Studio to make some pretty cool images of being inside one, and that’s about as high up in one that I want to experience.

I’m more of a helium balloon kind of guy. That’s the only kind of “high” I’ll ever experience.

Topic #5 – PIZZA

Alright, now let’s talk about pizza for a second.

This is one of those things where everyone has their own version of what “good” looks like, and nobody really agrees. Some people swear by thin crust, others won’t touch anything that isn’t thick and loaded. Then you’ve got the ones who dip everything, the ones who don’t, and somehow both sides think the other is doing it wrong.
And don't even get me talking about whether pineapples belong on pizza, that's another topic for another day!

See, for me, it kind of depends on the situation more than anything.

If it’s been a long day and nobody feels like cooking, pizza just makes sense. It’s easy, it shows up quick, and you don’t really have to think about it. Other times it’s more of a social thing, something that just ends up in the middle of the table while everything else is going on.

That’s probably why it works so well. It’s not just the food, it’s what’s happening around it. You don’t really plan for pizza… it just ends up being the right call more often than not.

Topic #6 – RANDOM THOUGHTS

Last Topic --- You ever notice how your brain works when you’re not trying to use it?

You’ll be laying in bed, trying to fall asleep, and suddenly you’re thinking about something from ten years ago that doesn’t even matter anymore. Or you’re in the shower, or driving somewhere, and that’s when all the ideas decide to show up.

But when you actually sit down to write something on purpose, that’s when everything goes quiet.

That part always makes me laugh a bit, because it’s backwards from how it should work, but it’s also kind of how it always works.

Sometimes writing isn’t about having a perfectly planned idea. Sometimes it’s just about starting somewhere and letting it go where it goes, even if it feels random at first.

Kind of like this post… just writing, letting it flow, and not overthinking it.

Now I’m actually curious…

This is your turn to decide. Am I a naturally good writer? Or was AI involved in some form or another?

Because here’s the part that matters the most... If I told you I used AI, only to help structure things and get my point across, even though I just shared 6 completely random topics… is that an argument? Or is that just using the tool?

I know I’ll get critiques, that’s fine. But here’s the part that might throw you off a bit more.

Out of these 6 topics, there’s only 4 that I actually wrote. The other 2… let’s just say they had some help. Which means you can’t tell if you can’t tell, and that’s kind of the point.

So I guess, Eric…

Challenge failed?

Or challenge modified?