Why I Use AI in My Writing
Many readers have noticed that I often sign my work as God’s Journalist in conjunction with ChatGPT and Grammarly or Othello Cody Verrocchio in collaboration with ChatGPT 3.5. I want to share why I do this — openly, clearly, and professionally.
The simple truth is this: my writing is overwhelmingly my own — my voice, my experiences, and my reflections on life. AI simply helps me polish and present it.
My Contribution
The circumstances, people, situations, and observations in my writing all come from my lived experiences and how I interpret the world. Whether I am describing a day at work, a mechanical challenge, or a personal reflection, the story itself is mine.
Roughly 85–90% of my content is original — my ideas, my structure, and my perspective.
AI’s Contribution
AI helps me in ways a traditional editor might have in the past:
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Structuring my notes and memories into a flowing narrative.
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Polishing the style for smoother readability.
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Enhancing imagery without changing the substance.
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Maintaining consistency across chapters or themes.
This accounts for about 10–15% of the final product — essentially the editing and formatting layer.
Why I Choose AI
Traditionally, authors would pay editors to refine their work. But as a pensioner living below the breadline, professional editing is simply out of reach.
Research shows that the cost of living in South Africa far exceeds what I currently earn — I make less than a third of what is needed for even a modest standard of living. The basics are difficult enough to cover, let alone luxuries like professional editing.
That’s why I use tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly, Meta, Gemini, or Claude. They allow me to achieve a professional standard without the financial burden.
My Work Experience
My writing is also shaped by a lifetime of varied experiences:
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I began in IT with a Commodore VIC-20, exploring computing in its earliest days.
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I worked 11 years on the railways as an electrical fitter, repairing and diagnosing trains.
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Later, I became a shop fitter, doing carpentry, installations, and corporate retail setups for companies like Pick n Pay, Shoprite Checkers, Engen, and BP.
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For the past three to four years, I’ve worked with micro-location shops, driving five days a week to retail hubs like Metro Cash and Carry, Yarona, Africa Cash and Carry, China Mall, China City, the Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market, Karan Beef, Fordsburg, Daywood Chickens, and many other outlets.
These roles demanded precision, discipline, and adaptability — qualities that now flow into my writing.
Final Word
When you read something I’ve signed as God’s Journalist in conjunction with ChatGPT and Grammarly or Othello Cody Verrocchio in collaboration with ChatGPT 3.5, you are reading my story, my thoughts, and my reflections.
AI is not the author. I am.
AI is simply the tool that allows me to share my work with clarity, polish, and professionalism — at a cost I can afford.
— Otto Brinkmeier