A Note About AI (From Someone Who Actually Writes)

I know, this is a little off from my normal construction content.

But stick with me, because this actually ties in more than you think.

Whether we’re talking about brickwork or blog posts, people can tell the difference between real craftsmanship… and something just thrown together.

Let’s Clear This Up Real Quick

Do I use AI?

Yep.

Do I let it write for me?

Not a chance.

I use it like I would any tool on a jobsite:

• Organizing my thoughts

• Cleaning up grammar before publishing

• Occasionally helping me map out an idea

  
  

But the actual writing?

That’s me.

Every time.

The Moment I Got Called “AI Trash”

Not long ago, I wrote an article and used an AI-generated caricature of myself because I didn’t have a decent photo.

That’s it. Just the image.

And wow… people came in hot.

“AI trash.”

“Clearly not written by a real person.”

And worse.

So I explained:

The image is AI. The words are mine.

Did that fix it?

Nope.

Wanna Know What Gave Me Away?

An em dash.

Seriously.

Apparently, using proper punctuation is now suspicious.

So let’s break this down real quick:

• Em dash (—) = used for emphasis (like this—on purpose)

• En dash (–) = used for ranges ($50–$100) or connections (job-site)

  
  

AI uses em dashes a lot because it follows grammar rules very strictly.

You know who else does?

People who were taught how to write properly.

I’m Gen X. We didn’t get partial credit for “close enough.”

You missed punctuation? You felt it in your grade.

So yeah—I use proper grammar.

And sometimes I use an em dash because it hits harder than a comma.

That’s not AI.

That’s intentional.

So I Ran an Experiment…

I took the first chapter of my memoir (100% written by me) and ran it through three different AI detectors.

Here’s what I got:

• 15% AI

• 38% AI

• 55% AI

  
  

Same exact document.

So right there… how accurate are these things?

Then I Tried an AI “Humanizer”

This part was wild.

I ran my chapter through one of those tools that’s supposed to “make AI writing sound human.”

And what came out? Wasn’t my story.

• It changed emotions

• Added things that never happened

• Rewrote parts like it was a fantasy novel

  
  

It felt like reading a version of my life written by someone who wasn’t there.

The Real Test (This One Matters)

I sent both versions out, mine and the “humanized” one, and asked:

Which one would you actually want to read?

Every single person picked mine.

Not even close.

They said:

• “This one feels real.”

• “This one sounds like a person.”

• “The other one is… weird.”

• 
  

That right there? That’s the difference.

Let’s Talk About What AI Can’t Do

AI is fast. No question.

It can write a full article in seconds.

But it can’t:

• Live the experience

• Tell the story the way it actually felt

• Add personality without faking it

• Build real trust with an audience

  
  

And people notice—even if they can’t explain why.

I’ll Be Honest—AI Did Affect My Business

I lost four clients to AI.

Four.

That gets your attention real quick.

But here’s the interesting part…

Three of them came back.

Why?

• Their views dropped

• Engagement slowed way down

• Nobody was connecting with the content

  
  

Because it wasn’t them anymore.

It was just… content.

Here’s the Bottom Line

AI is a tool.

A powerful one, sure—but still just a tool.

And tools don’t replace craftsmanship.

Whether it’s laying brick or writing something worth reading…

People want real.

They want personality.

They want experience.

They want something that actually feels like it came from a human being.

Final Thought

AI might make things faster.

But faster doesn’t mean better.

And if your audience can’t connect with what you’re saying…

It doesn’t matter how fast you wrote it.