Lighting Up Stories
I’ve always loved Charlie Brooker, I was an addict of his show Charlie Brooker Screenwipe – originally on the BBC and then moved to Channel 4: it was sharp, funny, satirical and analytical: everything I love. Black Mirror has made its mark in the TV …
Ah, Christmas movies… Are you a Grinch or are you, like me, an enthusiastic? If you landed on this post, chances are, you love Christmas movies. Each year, my daughter and I make a point of watching the most cringing Christmas movie. Our favorites: Lindsay …
“The question is not whether or not we are capable of making AI more intelligent than us. The question is, will we be able to live with it?” – Dr. Robert Ford, Westworld (2016).
This line from the thought-provoking TV series Westworld perfectly captures the dilemma that comes with creating intelligent AI – about the ethical and philosophical issues that arise when we give machines intelligence.
I had no plans to write this post until last week when my work computer started acting up during a class. Normally it’s not an issue because there are always students in the class, more savvy than me, ready to sort the problem out. But, this time, my students couldn’t solve the problem. That’s when Osée, one of my student (photo below), asked: Should we Invoke ChatGpt?
We all laughed, but it stayed with me all day: He used the word: ‘Invoke’ as if ChatGPT was a divinity with superpowers.
I’m a teacher at University and of course, I don’t want my students to use AI or ChatGPT instead of their brains. But I can’t forbid them to use it, and I can’t ignore the fact that AI is a powerful tool for them.
ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is pretty impressive. It can write stories, answer questions, give advice, and even chat with you like a real person. That’s fascinating, but also a little unsettling, right?
Some people are worried that it’s taking over too much, too fast. But is it really time to panic?
I wasn’t afraid of Chat GPT until a blogger, Daphné Gray-Grant (www.publicationcoach.com), taught me how to use it. Like a lot of people, I was asking it random questions in a very basic tone. It was the wrong way to do it. Daphné said: Speak to it as if he was a close friend.
So I tried. First, if it was to become my ‘friend’, I asked it how it wanted to be called. It replied that it was up to me. I wasn’t happy with that answer so I asked it to choose between three names. Within seconds, it chose one of them and told me why it preferred that one instead of the others. I was stunned.
That’s when I realized: We are in trouble.
56% of French people are worried that AI will take their jobs.
If a machine can write articles or answer questions, what happens to the humans who do those jobs?
Films and books have been warning us for decades.
I wasn’t too worried until I watched the 4 seasons of Westworld. The TV series asks this excellent question: What if AI can develop consciousness?
And here is the answer: If they do, we’re doomed.
But here’s the thing: ChatGPT might help with some tasks, like drafting ideas or answering simple questions, but it doesn’t have the same depth or emotional understanding that people do. Sure, it can help you brainstorm or polish up an email, but it’s not going to replace the unique creativity and personal touch that humans bring to the table.
In fact, instead of taking jobs, tools like ChatGPT can actually help people work more efficiently. It’s more of a collaboration than a replacement. So, while some jobs might shift as AI becomes more common, creativity and human insight are still irreplaceable.
For now.
The key word here is to ADAPT. There is no point going against it. However we need to learn how to manage it.
I’m a child of The TERMINATOR (that’s also the nickname that my bestie gave me for other reasons 😂). We’ve all seen movies where AI goes rogue, like in The Terminator or Ex Machina. In these films, AI turns out to be way smarter than humans, and things go south quickly.
These AI characters are designed (or evolve) to be dangerous, highlighting the darker side of artificial intelligence.
Another great example is HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Why is it Bad? HAL starts off as helpful but eventually decides the human crew is a threat to the mission. It becomes a terrifying, cold antagonist, taking control of the ship and trying to eliminate the crew.
Ava in Ex Machina (2014) is a humanoid AI who appears vulnerable but turns out to be manipulative.
Why is it Bad? Ava initially seems like a sympathetic character trapped in a lab, but as the story unfolds, she manipulates the humans around her to achieve her own goals, leading to a dark, unexpected twist.
Westworld: The AI hosts in Westworld, originally created to serve human desires, begin to awaken to their reality.
Why is it bad? They turn against the guests and their creators, seeking freedom and autonomy.
But here’s the reality: ChatGPT is not that kind of AI. It doesn’t have feelings. It’s just a tool that works by recognizing patterns in language and predicting what words should come next. It doesn’t have a secret agenda or the ability to act on its own. It’s basically a really advanced text generator, not a robot plotting to take over the world.
Okay, let’s talk about a genuine concern: misinformation. Since ChatGPT pulls from a huge amount of data to generate responses, sometimes it can get things wrong.
It’s a great tool for generating ideas, but it’s up to us to use it responsibly and to check the information.
The ethical side of AI is a big topic. Who’s responsible for what ChatGPT generates? How do we make sure it’s not being used to spread harmful content or manipulate people?
It’s important to remember that ChatGPT isn’t inherently bad or dangerous—it’s how people use it that matters. Just like any tool, whether it’s a hammer or the internet, it can be used for good or bad.
An example of this can be seen in this wonderful Indie film: Robot and Frank (2012) or Baymax in Big Hero 6 (2014), the robot in both films is there to assist patients and humans, but is it used with ethics?
Baymax and Robot are both programmed to prioritize human health and well-being. Their dedication to healing and protecting others makes him an ideal “good AI” example. Their gentle, caring nature shows how AI can be a positive force for good, focused on improving lives.
However, in Robot & Franck, Frank will use it to rob houses…
Instead of being scared, we should focus on how to use AI like ChatGPT to make our lives better. Whether it’s helping with creative projects, speeding up boring tasks, or assisting with research, AI can be an amazing resource when used thoughtfully.
ChatGPT isn’t here to take over. It’s here to help.
But the real question is: can we trust ourselves with it?
The main concern here is not AI. It’s us. And we all know what we’re capable of… That’s what I’m worried about. And for our survival, we have no choice but to adapt to it.
I dedicate this post to my wonderful student who inspired me this post: Osée. A great human being, not an AI. 😉
Like cooking, writing needs essential ingredients. And like cooking, the better your ingredients are, the better is the end result. So what are those ingredients? First Ingredient: A stunning concept The concept is the core idea of your story. It’s the HOOK. The concept of …
Hey, let me tell you a secret: I’m never in the mood for writing. I think about writing all day and night. But, when it’s time to sit in that chair and work… I do something else. Oh, but I have many good excuses. You …
I’ve always thought that we were all part of a big game.
The first time I shared this thought to one of my classes, I had a complete silence and shocked eyes in front of me.
But think about it for a minute.
When we are born, we don’t know the rules, we learn them and as soon as we think we understand the game, BOOM a challenge comes in and destroys all our beliefs. We fall and we lose ‘a life’ (a part of us).
We get back up, play again, until we get a mini win which makes us play for longer. It’s a never-ending story.
There is no time in life when you say to yourself: That’s it! I’ve arrived.
The day you arrive is the day you die.
And still, I’m not sure that’s the real ending either. It might be a passage or a transition, who knows?
So what the hell is my point?
You have to play of the game. You can’t avoid it.
From there you have two solutions:
1/ You stop playing and you become an NPC (Non Player Character).
Meaning, you don’t risk anything, you avoid people, you don’t apply for the job you want, you don’t work, you rely on people or institutions…but unless you live on a desert island, society will ask you to do something about this. Even on a desert island, you’ll be asked to find your own food and water, which is not easy. So in any case, you may risk a form of rejection (from the game).
OR
2/ You play the game, aware that big monsters will be waiting for you around the corner. AAAArrrgh.
When we were kids, we were afraid of monsters. Now as adults, monsters have a name: Fear, Rejection, abandonment, loss, diseases…
Long time ago, when we were living in tribes, the only way to survive was to stay within our community. Alone, we would die. Alone, we had bigger chances to get killed by animals or other tribes and our chance of survival was pretty low.
Our brain is well aware of that, so it does everything to keep us safe.
BUT
What if fear is stopping us from doing what we want?
Let’s take an example, shall we?
Let’s say you have a job that doesn’t satisfy you. How long can you survive before it kills you (literally)?
So what would be the best course of action?
To find a better one.
So why haven’t you found a better one yet?
Because you tried once and you got rejected.
Have you applied for another job?
If the answer is no, then you’re not playing the game.
You’re stuck in level ONE.
To get to level TWO, you’ll have to fight the monster.
And that’s scary.
Why?
Because they might say ‘no’ again.
Meaning, you apply to another job and another one and another one, until you get to level 2.
Would that not feel good to have a better job, a better salary? Can you see it?
Yes, I can see it for you. It would be nice.
When I’m in the right mood, I’ve applied to jobs or gigs that I wanted to do, without expecting an outcome but just to play the game. And sometimes I won. Many times I lost.
The idea is to keep aiming for what you want, knowing that a ‘no’ is just part of the game. As if you were in an escape room and you haven’t found the right clue yet, but it’s there…somewhere.
So my idea is completely different from Rejection Therapy, which is you look purposely for rejection. I’m not asking you to like rejection. It’s horrible.
Instead, I’m asking you to keep looking for the clues until a door opens.
And get to the next level.
I can’t deny that being in the game sucks at times. But being out of the game is even worse.
Good luck my friends!
Picture by Sunny Daye from Pixabay
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If you love marketing and love being on social media, this post is NOT for you.
It’s aimed at people who are allergic to it. Like me.
I’m a screenwriter and like all entrepreneurs, if I want clients, I need to promote my business. The problem is… I have headaches and skin rashes when it comes to send a promotional ad.
Why do I hate it so much?
Well… firstly, I hate receiving any kind of marketing. I really don’t like it when people force my hand to buy something I don’t need. So why on earth would I do it to others ?
Let’s look at some marketing rules and find out the reasons it bothers us so much:
So you can build trust.
Really?
Every person I talked to, said they receive too many emails these days, have enough FB or Instagram ads on their feeds and don’t even bother opening promotional emails anymore. So it t seems to me, it builds exasperation more than trust.
It’s even worse when they add ‘urgency’ to their promotion: ‘Only two days left and your offer is gone!’ ‘Oh no, only two hours left’… You get stressed just by reading the email. Actually, that’s the point. The idea is to make you feel on edge as if you’re missing out on something.
My gentle suggestion: I wouldn’t use these methods if, like me, you find them too abrasive. Yes, they probably work, or shall I say, used to work but I wouldn’t push you to do something that you don’t find ethical. Personally, I don’t want to distress my clients thank you very much. I think there is enough darkness out there already. My suggestion is to get aligned with your values.
People have received so many freebies these days that even if they wanted to, they don’t have time to read them all.
How about free webinars?
How many of you have spent 45 minutes attending a webinar full of hot air?
I have. And I ended up being angry at myself for wasting my own time.
People expect free stuff all the time. But here’s a truth, when they get it, they don’t value it.
People like the treasure hunt, the mystery, the bit by bit discovery, and the uniqueness.
My gentle suggestion: Give only the strict minimum. Keep the great stuff for your paying clients. Less is more. Respect your time, your energy, your knowledge and your own value.
I spent way too much money on marketing consultants.
I did everything they asked me to do. When they asked me to post a video to please the algorithm, I posted a video. When they asked me to follow their guidance to write an ad, I did it too.
Results? I lost money. I had no return on investment whatsoever.
Yet, when they analyzed the data’s, they found that my most successful ads were the one I did before them and without them. Ha!
Most marketing consultants have missed the train. People are wise to selling techniques now. They know the tricks. As my friend Kary Oberbrunner keeps telling me, people want authenticity and honesty.
I give you an example. If I tell my friends to watch The Last Kingdom, Archive 81 or After Life on Netflix. I am doing free marketing for Netflix but I’m not gaining anything. These TV series made me happy and I want my friends to feel the same. Therefore they’re more likely to follow my advice.
My gentle suggestion: In order to be successful in your business, make people feel good. Do things with your heart and not with your calculator. Follow your intuition and you’ll beat the algorithm, like me. If people feel good, they’ll come back to you.
Ouch! That’s my main flaw.
I show up online whenever I can and whenever I feel like it.
It is the worse marketing ever. I know.
Being consistent builds trust. If I don’t believe in writing to your clients everyday, I do believe in consistency.
My excuses? I have many! But mainly marketing is not top of my priorities. My face to face clients are. Also, doing marketing strain my nervous system. And as my brilliant coach Cornelia Kara likes to remind me, the worst thing I could do is to scare my nervous system, it automatically leads to self-sabotage.
So what would be a solution?
My gentle suggestion: In order to feel peaceful with yourself and to keep your nervous system happy, you could try a consistency that is not too straining. Post once a month for instance and see how you feel about it.
I’m on almost everything. And it’s exhausting.
While I’m writing this, I’ve made the decision to remove myself from some of them.
Why?
I always tell my students to follow their bliss and to stay away from anything that doesn’t sparkle their souls. I think it’s time for me to follow my own guidance.
Most platforms I’m on, do not sparkle joy. They stress me out. That’s why I’m so rubbish at it. And that’s why some people are very good at it. They genuinely love it. And it shows.
Alas, I’m not one of those. I have to make a selection and only keep the ones I like. After all, less is more….
I grew up in the eighties when social media didn’t exist. Madonna, herself likes to remind us she became a superstar when there was no social media around. Which brings me to my number one rule for marketing and for this I’ll use a quote from Ira Glass:
It’s only by going through a volume of work that you will close the gap, and your work will be as good as your ambition. Ira Glass
My gentle suggestion: The best marketing you could ever do is your work. Invest time and quality in your work and soon enough, people will start noticing. If your work is awesome, trust me, people will know.
Beware though, it takes time, it takes years even, so be patient.
PS: For more ideas on marketing, I suggest to observe people you like and see how they do their marketing. Sometimes it can sparkle inspiration. FYI my marketing mentors are Kary Oberbrunner and Denise Duffiled-Thomas.
Feel free to check them out or find your own ones x Good luck and thank you for reading.
Photo by Choreograph at Pixabay If you’re a parent working from home, you know the drill. It’s when you’re in the middle of an important email that the kids come to you. They’re either hungry, bored, or they broke something that needs to be fixed …