LLMs are Freakingly Demotivating

When the ChatGPT came out, I generated a post for fun, giggled a little bit, and then realized that ChatGPT discouraged me from posting anything.

I've been reflecting on why this is the case.

Writing Is a Workout

Writing, like any brain-related workout, may sometimes be challenging and require an effort to accomplish.

Typically, when I write something for a blog, I try to focus on the final result, the output that I treat as a reward.

To make the process more enjoyable, I also try to focus on the process. It turns the friction into a slow pace step-by-step climb onto the hill. Multiple nano rewards on the way to the big goal on top. It allows me to have fun up to the big celebration.

ChatGPT is Stealing the Reward

What ChatGPT is doing is discouraging from both perspectives.

First of all, It devalues the final output making it less rewarding. It removes the pleasure of creating something because anyone can easily make something similar without effort.

ChatGPT also makes the effort itself pretty pointless. You have considerably fewer reasons to challenge yourself when you can generate a similar output in no time.

My case is just a simple example of blogging as a weekend hobby and the worst possible impact is that I would stop shitposting on the internet. However, there are millions of more meaningful creators in the world who are making a living by writing things.

What are the odds and the consequences of killing their motivation?