I loved this interview series showing us the truth. listened to draft recordings and got amazed, educated, motivated, and inspired. There is no other person on Medium reflecting reality so clearly so I am grateful to Dr Yildiz and fully support his vision and mission. If Medium fails, which I don't want to but I trust Dr Yildiz can create a much better platform for us. My trust in him is 1000% as I mentioned in his latest post on Medium. If you missed it, here is the link for you to engage in the debate. https://medium.com/illumination/why-medium-is-in-trouble-and-how-it-can-still-be-saved-interview-series-707f66f5aa2d I bet Medium leaders are closely reading his stories so your voice can be heard, hopefully.
I had a different account on which I published improvised comedy pieces. The only AI involved was transcribing my words. I was banned from the Partner program and soon cancelled that account.
It feels weird because when I’ve experimented with AI it had been rubbish and not publishable at all.
Plus, as my Dad found out the first time he used AI it is deeply political and so impossible to use for anything meaningful
Right wing politicians can’t be lampooned but left wing ones can. I think AI should stick to science and engineering. Anything else is a waste of time.
PS it can be helpful for searches as Googling is deeply flawed. I never find what I want and have to use AI.
I heard that Medium uses Copyleaks which is the worst one deceiving the curators. It has no brain but labels everything polished as AI written. It even found Dr Yildiz's short blog post on Medium as 98.5% AI generated. It is absurd so I left a comment on his previous story.
In fact my work was very unpolished so I thought that was why it saw it as AI. Most people use Grammarly these days (well, best I do!) and that could make things too polished. Mind you it is rubbish when it comes to understanding dialogue isn’t following grammar rules.
I’m guessing the tool they use is the cheapest. That 98.5% finding is very funny! I am not worried now about losing the page because it was part of my PhD but I have changed the focus away from that now anyway and probably couldn’t keep it up. It also suggested I was doing some kind of money fraud… 10cents! Is how much I’d made! so that seemed absurd too.
Good luck. I do in theory prefer Medium to Substack but Substack makes the most money for me now and I get commissions from here as well these days.
The AI situation must change. Outlawing it has made it even more proliferfied. AI generated articles are disguised, fooling everyone, and taking from genuine writers. Having two distinct categories (AI and human) would, I think, help the huge mess this has become, with AI articles hiding in plainsight behind the paywall, posing as genuine writing. That's where all the money is being soaked up. I think it's got so massive a problem, that Medium no longer know how to address it, hence their silence.
This interview was an eye-opener. As a new/avid reader and an aspiring writer on Medium with just three stories so far, I’m shocked because I’m not even sure if my content stands a chance. Coming from a scholarly background, I worry it might get flagged as AI-generated. Feels like we’re heading toward a world where being human is a liability, all thanks to faulty AI algorithms. What a mess!
I agree Dr Jones. It does feel that way sometimes - that humanity is being erased. We can't let that happen. Behaving like AI or a machine brings more success these days, alas not happiness. Something is indeed very wrong! It is awful you feel intimidated to write on Medium, as the most intelligent and genuine writers often get flagged as using AI. The dumber articles do better. This seriously has to change. We shouldn't write to dumb down our brain, to please the algorithm. There is real fear now that genuine writers will become extinct on Medium. But we shouldn't give up hope. They can't keep ignoring our collective voices. Their approach to AI is simplistic, with unquestioning trust in AI detectors, also run by AI. It's AI fighting AI. It's blind obedience to AI detectors, without any moral code.
What a delightful and enlightening first part of the interview! Dr. Yildiz's view of AI as a valuable tool rather than a looming threat is truly refreshing. The insights on Medium's current challenges, especially regarding the surge of AI-generated content and the platform's struggle to manage it, are spot-on and so thought-provoking!
I absolutely love the idea of separating human and AI content spaces; it feels like a practical and exciting step forward! I can’t wait to hear more about the specifics of this innovative two-space system in the upcoming parts of the interview.
I definitely would rather have an AI based detection system in place versus no system at all. Yes, people will build methods to get around the detection system, and there will be false positives, but it's a step towards stemming the flood of AI generated spam articles, more than demanding it all be done by human moderators (who could be bribed, will have varying review quality, and likely will get farmed out to low-quality sources like Mechanical Turk as well).
In my opinion, based on 3 years of trial experience, they are totally useless, biased, confusing, misleading, and a waste of time. Yes, we need a system, as you say, but not these silly tools, which are not even technology. They are just developed using simple algorithms with with code generated by ChatGPT. There is no way for AI to detect sophisticated human expressions in writing yet. Dr Broadly articulated it beautifully in his latest story on Medium and Substack. If you haven't seen it and wish to read here are the links:
Asking AI to Find AI Is the Dumbest Thing Humans Have Ever Done
Has Medium just become a numbers game, adding countries as fast as they can? More in their pockets. Diminish payments, more in their pockets. Why do we assume it is just bad management and not intentional? No different than what is going on everywhere right now in corporate America. Dr. Yildiz nails it all in this article.
Failure is a natural progression for the life cycle of technology. No technology, and no platform, lasts forever. The life cycle of tech and platforms has become shorter as the pace of tech advancement quickens. Failure is natural, failure is okay, failure clears the field for the next emerging platform.
Medium's current death spiral is not to be resisted, but simply allowed to run its course. In many global locations when the weather brings rain, the locals choose to just let it rain. This is the logical, and only, response possible. No? After the rain comes new growth. Just let it happen.
In the larger scheme of tech innovation, Medium was never very significant. We must all learn to recognize that these short term "gig work" platforms are not constant, they are not stable, they present no pretense of loyalty, and they will eventually disappoint / punish all who misplace their faith in these part-time, side hustle platforms.
Yes, I agree Medium need to take better strategic action. I feel very disappointed in the platform over the last 12 month. I'd love to keep my account going but the cost will make me think carefully this year about whether I actually continue.
I loved this interview series showing us the truth. listened to draft recordings and got amazed, educated, motivated, and inspired. There is no other person on Medium reflecting reality so clearly so I am grateful to Dr Yildiz and fully support his vision and mission. If Medium fails, which I don't want to but I trust Dr Yildiz can create a much better platform for us. My trust in him is 1000% as I mentioned in his latest post on Medium. If you missed it, here is the link for you to engage in the debate. https://medium.com/illumination/why-medium-is-in-trouble-and-how-it-can-still-be-saved-interview-series-707f66f5aa2d I bet Medium leaders are closely reading his stories so your voice can be heard, hopefully.
I had a different account on which I published improvised comedy pieces. The only AI involved was transcribing my words. I was banned from the Partner program and soon cancelled that account.
It feels weird because when I’ve experimented with AI it had been rubbish and not publishable at all.
Plus, as my Dad found out the first time he used AI it is deeply political and so impossible to use for anything meaningful
Right wing politicians can’t be lampooned but left wing ones can. I think AI should stick to science and engineering. Anything else is a waste of time.
PS it can be helpful for searches as Googling is deeply flawed. I never find what I want and have to use AI.
I am so sorry to hear about losing your authentic account. It happened to many writers. Some got suspended and some lost their MPPs. This is exactly what Dr Yildiz is advocating and fighting against. Did you vote in his poll yesterday? If not you can say No here to contribute banning of those faulty and unethical tools on Medium. https://open.substack.com/pub/drmehmetyildiz/p/invitation-to-a-community-discussion?r=3u9p1&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
I heard that Medium uses Copyleaks which is the worst one deceiving the curators. It has no brain but labels everything polished as AI written. It even found Dr Yildiz's short blog post on Medium as 98.5% AI generated. It is absurd so I left a comment on his previous story.
https://medium.com/illumination/alright-dr-d357abb84688
Thank you, I will look at the poll.
In fact my work was very unpolished so I thought that was why it saw it as AI. Most people use Grammarly these days (well, best I do!) and that could make things too polished. Mind you it is rubbish when it comes to understanding dialogue isn’t following grammar rules.
I’m guessing the tool they use is the cheapest. That 98.5% finding is very funny! I am not worried now about losing the page because it was part of my PhD but I have changed the focus away from that now anyway and probably couldn’t keep it up. It also suggested I was doing some kind of money fraud… 10cents! Is how much I’d made! so that seemed absurd too.
Good luck. I do in theory prefer Medium to Substack but Substack makes the most money for me now and I get commissions from here as well these days.
Cheers
The AI situation must change. Outlawing it has made it even more proliferfied. AI generated articles are disguised, fooling everyone, and taking from genuine writers. Having two distinct categories (AI and human) would, I think, help the huge mess this has become, with AI articles hiding in plainsight behind the paywall, posing as genuine writing. That's where all the money is being soaked up. I think it's got so massive a problem, that Medium no longer know how to address it, hence their silence.
This interview was an eye-opener. As a new/avid reader and an aspiring writer on Medium with just three stories so far, I’m shocked because I’m not even sure if my content stands a chance. Coming from a scholarly background, I worry it might get flagged as AI-generated. Feels like we’re heading toward a world where being human is a liability, all thanks to faulty AI algorithms. What a mess!
I agree Dr Jones. It does feel that way sometimes - that humanity is being erased. We can't let that happen. Behaving like AI or a machine brings more success these days, alas not happiness. Something is indeed very wrong! It is awful you feel intimidated to write on Medium, as the most intelligent and genuine writers often get flagged as using AI. The dumber articles do better. This seriously has to change. We shouldn't write to dumb down our brain, to please the algorithm. There is real fear now that genuine writers will become extinct on Medium. But we shouldn't give up hope. They can't keep ignoring our collective voices. Their approach to AI is simplistic, with unquestioning trust in AI detectors, also run by AI. It's AI fighting AI. It's blind obedience to AI detectors, without any moral code.
I feel the same Deirdre. You seem to read my mind.
What a delightful and enlightening first part of the interview! Dr. Yildiz's view of AI as a valuable tool rather than a looming threat is truly refreshing. The insights on Medium's current challenges, especially regarding the surge of AI-generated content and the platform's struggle to manage it, are spot-on and so thought-provoking!
I absolutely love the idea of separating human and AI content spaces; it feels like a practical and exciting step forward! I can’t wait to hear more about the specifics of this innovative two-space system in the upcoming parts of the interview.
Thanks for writing this thoughtful approach! 😊
I definitely would rather have an AI based detection system in place versus no system at all. Yes, people will build methods to get around the detection system, and there will be false positives, but it's a step towards stemming the flood of AI generated spam articles, more than demanding it all be done by human moderators (who could be bribed, will have varying review quality, and likely will get farmed out to low-quality sources like Mechanical Turk as well).
In my opinion, based on 3 years of trial experience, they are totally useless, biased, confusing, misleading, and a waste of time. Yes, we need a system, as you say, but not these silly tools, which are not even technology. They are just developed using simple algorithms with with code generated by ChatGPT. There is no way for AI to detect sophisticated human expressions in writing yet. Dr Broadly articulated it beautifully in his latest story on Medium and Substack. If you haven't seen it and wish to read here are the links:
Asking AI to Find AI Is the Dumbest Thing Humans Have Ever Done
https://medium.com/illumination/asking-ai-to-find-ai-is-the-dumbest-thing-humans-have-ever-done-948ad70ffd1f
https://illumination.substack.com/p/asking-ai-to-find-ai-is-the-dumbest
Another expert, an award-winning computer science professor from Berkeley, left a comment on Dr Broadly's story linking his article about this issue.
Has Medium just become a numbers game, adding countries as fast as they can? More in their pockets. Diminish payments, more in their pockets. Why do we assume it is just bad management and not intentional? No different than what is going on everywhere right now in corporate America. Dr. Yildiz nails it all in this article.
Failure is a natural progression for the life cycle of technology. No technology, and no platform, lasts forever. The life cycle of tech and platforms has become shorter as the pace of tech advancement quickens. Failure is natural, failure is okay, failure clears the field for the next emerging platform.
Medium's current death spiral is not to be resisted, but simply allowed to run its course. In many global locations when the weather brings rain, the locals choose to just let it rain. This is the logical, and only, response possible. No? After the rain comes new growth. Just let it happen.
In the larger scheme of tech innovation, Medium was never very significant. We must all learn to recognize that these short term "gig work" platforms are not constant, they are not stable, they present no pretense of loyalty, and they will eventually disappoint / punish all who misplace their faith in these part-time, side hustle platforms.
Yes, I agree Medium need to take better strategic action. I feel very disappointed in the platform over the last 12 month. I'd love to keep my account going but the cost will make me think carefully this year about whether I actually continue.