This page is a summary of my policy and stance towards generative artificial intelligence (a.k.a. large language models; think ChatGPT or equivalent), and specifically the use (or lack of use) of such software here at Trekking with Dennis.
The very short version? Everything you read on Trekking with Dennis was written by me: Dennis. A human.
I created this website in 2019 because I wanted to have a space where I could share my opinions on gaming, the Star Trek franchise, and other geeky entertainment topics in my own words, at my own pace. Using an A.I. bot to generate articles or columns would be completely counter to that; it would defeat the entire purpose of setting up this website.
I genuinely enjoy the process of writing. And when it comes to Star Trek, and some of my other favourite fictional universes, writing about them is a way to spend a bit more time in that world, to delve more deeply into the lore and the minute details of how they work. This is something I do for fun – a side-project to share my opinions, give me a creative outlet, and keep the ol’ brain cells as sharp as they can be now that I’m into middle age!
There’s no financial incentive for me to use generative A.I. to write articles, either. I pay for this website and its hosting costs, and it doesn’t actually make me any money. With no deadlines, no corporate overlord to satisfy, and no money to be made from clicks, there’s simply no reason for me to generate articles with A.I. at all.
You might well ask: “well, how can you prove that?” and the short answer is that I can’t. This website is text and images, and I doubt there’s a computer programme on earth capable of distinguishing between A.I.-generated and human-written content any more. The only evidence I’d submit is the content of the website itself: the subjects I choose to write about, when I choose to discuss them, and my generally inconsistent output. Anyone using generative A.I. could easily manage several long articles or essays per day, and I don’t do that. Anyone using generative A.I. would pick more popular topics that would attract more attention. And anyone using generative A.I. would get their reviews out much more quickly so they’d be more relevant!
I’m not “anti-A.I.” in the way that some folks seem to be on social media. I don’t hate the idea of generative A.I., nor do I really mind the idea of A.I. models trawling my website for training data. But I don’t have a place for generative A.I. on the writing side of things here on Trekking with Dennis. I’m not obsessing over view counts and clicks; if I were, I’d pick way more popular franchises and topics to write about!
The vast majority of images here on Trekking with Dennis are screenshots and still frames from video games, movies, and TV programmes. The header images used for articles and essays are all created by me, too, using image editing software on my PC – usually to add text and, on occasion, visual effects to make the images “pop.” Again, none of that uses generative A.I. – as evidenced, perhaps, by the generally poor quality of the work!
However, I have occasionally used A.I.-generated images here on the website – almost always in articles and essays discussing generative A.I. to show an example of the kinds of output one can expect from whatever model was current at the time. I don’t envision A.I.-generated imagery being a big part of the website going forward; although I’m a writer, not an artist, I quite like the process of creating a header for a review or essay, cropping an image, adding text and visual effects, and so on. However, I suppose it’s fair to say that I’m more open to the possibility of using A.I.-generated imagery than I am A.I.-generated text.
Image: Meta A.I.
I have, on occasion, also used A.I. tools to upscale lower-quality still frames. There are some TV shows and movies that aren’t available in a remastered format, and there have been moments where an upscaled or enhanced still frame just looks better to my eye – or more high-quality, perhaps – than the lower-res version. This is not the same thing as generating an image from a text prompt, or asking an A.I. tool to create new images from an existing screenshot or still frame, but I think it still falls under the A.I. umbrella.
In cases where A.I.-upscaled images or A.I.-generated images have been used – which is only on a handful of articles across the website – I’ve made note of that at the end of the piece. Whether you like A.I., loathe it, or are just indifferent to its use (as I am), I think the right thing to do is to be transparent about A.I.’s usage – so I will always endeavour to let you know when A.I. tools have been used to upscale or generate imagery.
One final point: I use stock photos and illustrations, sometimes – sourced from the likes of Unsplash, Pixabay, and Wikimedia Commons. I don’t go out of my way to avoid A.I.-generated stock images, but I will try to make note of their use if and when I use them. It’s getting more and more difficult to tell, at a glance, whether an image or illustration has been generated or modified with A.I., and if the source declines to mention it, I may not always be aware of this! However, I will *try* to keep you informed of any A.I.-generated imagery that I’ve sourced from the web, just as I would with any A.I. images that I personally generated.
So I hope that makes things clear.
The tl;dr is that I have never and will never use generative A.I. to “write” on my behalf. There’s just… no point. This website is a hobby and it’s supposed to be a bit of fun for me, so using A.I. would not only rob you, the reader, of human-written content… but it would also deprive *me* of the one thing I get out of this project! When it comes to images, I mostly use screenshots and still frames from whatever film, game or TV show I’m discussing – low-res ones may be upscaled using A.I. tools – and I’m willing, on a case-by-case basis, to consider using generative A.I. for imagery, but it’s not something I do very often and I will always make sure to let you know at the end of an article if A.I.-generated images have been used.
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