How Medium's AI Policy Change Affects Writers (and Readers)
I received this email this morning, and it prompted some serious reflection:
Beginning May 1, 2024, stories with AI-generated writing (disclosed as such or not) are not allowed to be paywalled as part of our Partner Program.
Accounts that have fully AI-generated writing behind the paywall may have those stories removed from the paywall, and/or have their Partner Program enrollment revoked.
In other words, Medium announced they will no longer allow AI-generated content behind their paywall
I've decided to delete all my posts from Medium. While I've gained momentum here:
* 10 new followers a day
* 147 stories published
* Highest read was 2.3K for 'What happens when you give away something for free?'
* Highest earning for one article was $2. 7 views. Title: “What Makes a Good Business Model’
I'm going to rewrite everything without AI and repost publicly. Reaching a wider audience outweighs potential paywall earnings.
What This Means for You: Platforms like Medium are discouraging AI-generated content. This raises important questions about the future of content creation:
Laziness vs. Efficiency: How will AI balance the speed it offers against the need for thoughtful content creation?
The Value of Critical Thinking: Will readers recognize and appreciate content that demonstrates original thought?
The Human Touch: By valuing human-crafted content, Medium's policy reminds us that a personal touch, unique style, and genuine emotion still hold immense value. It's the difference between a handmade craft and a mass-produced product.
Compromise: I can probably use AI to generate ideas and then I will write the content. I will ask AI to proofread my manuscript. It's best not to be 100% dependent on AI to write your content.
Be intentional in the age of AI. People still crave the human touch.