Is it cheating? Let me introduce my cheating protagonist, Mark Miller. Mark is the central character in my novel The Forsaken Cowboy. He lies, improvises, takes shortcuts, survives things he probably shouldn’t, and is in no position to lecture anyone about fair play. In other words, he fits right in.
So what do people mean when they talk about AI and cheating? Well, most folks seem to be happy when AI helps detect disease, sort information, translate languages, or solve technical problems. The panic tends to start when it gets anywhere near music, writing, or images. But why?
A tool doesn’t erase the difference between lazy work and thoughtful work. Good work is still good work, and bad work is still bad work.
Is a book somehow better because it was written with a quill instead of a keyboard? Probably not. They’re tools, and AI belongs to the same long line. A quill has no inner life, and neither does AI. What counts is still the human being using it, making choices, shaping the work, and deciding what is worth keeping.
Remember: A cheater is always a cheater 😉