(content warning of making light of historical annotations. this post is meant to be dramatic, not hurtful, but if you feel hurt, i apologize in advance.)

Some more disclaimers that I should be upfront about:

- This post is meant to be about being upfront about AI usage, not shy away from it and at what point your work no longer remains your own.

- I also don't mean to attack judge/judges of the mentioned contest who used AI, though it felt like that initially, and hence the repost.

- AI is meant only as a means to an end, however, sometimes, some people take it too far. Please do not condone anyone publicly. Take it to a private conversation and refrain from harsher criticism that could harm them.

- This post is meant for INFORMATIONAL purposes only. This isn't meant to attack anyone (I should seriously be more upfront about my intentions than cause unintended drama, I'm sorry!)

I'm writing this in google docs, so any revision changes can be tracked. In case any part shows up as AI written, we'll know for sure. This happened with a few and yeah, it's concerning.

Let's begin.

So, Dreamcatcher Awards reviews have raised an argument about AI editing, AI writing and AI-human hybrid works.

First and foremost, let me hold myself accountable for AI-usage. The beginning chapters of Second Chances were edited by AI, and I still have the draft to prove the same. Some in-between chapters were assisted by AI, where I wrote some parts, and AI helped me either enhance the text or lengthen it. In the later, and most recent chapters of Second Chances, however, I skipped AI use all together, the difference might be night and day, or it may all look similar when you reach a point that deep in the story. The point is, I am not exempt from the blame, and I'll definitely be earning more scathe of reviewers, writers and editors, but, what I'm trying to say is, even if you block me right after this post or we never speak again, I have realized my mistake and moving away from it. Currently, the story is in the first draft, the second draft would definitely be more human, I promise.

The similar is the case with Bullet Train to Murder, but right by the fourth chapter, I had minimal usage and almost sparing use in later chapters to no use in its sequel, MISSION. I am guilty, I know. But before you castrate me for declaring this, which would be similar to castrating a woman, believing she was a witch in ancient times just because of a simple difference (hello to you too, Salem Witch Trials)—Hear me OUT!

Now, why am I saying all that?

Because I want dra— No, okay, I wanted to discuss AI edits, human writing and how they each go and when is it okay to chalk it up and move on and when it's time to admit that using AI as a tool has made your writing akin to plagiarism.

Let's start with an example:

Original blurb (Human written text, totally valid):

Hey, hey, hi this is your neighborhood friendly trainwreck, Sara and I am here with a guidebook this time, I hope you find it useful! ♡

Now, I am not too sure if this concept has already been done, whether in or out of Wattpad, but I am here to share my own perspectives on the same.

A Human's Guide To Detecting AI Generated Content is going to be from the perspective of a noob (which is me!) about how to detect AI generated content, especially text.

This has been a rising issue on the Internet and I thought, "Hey, why not try and give it a go?"

The only thing I am relying on for giving out this guidebook is my own observation skills. I have been able to tell AI from Human content in writing effectively (so far, at least!) and I hope to share that information with you.

First and foremost holding myself accountable (so you don't have to) - I use AI with my writing too. Its a tool to help you get where you want to be. But, I consistently try to make myself better, even when I am trying to get help from AI.

This is the blurb of "A Human's Guide to detecting AI-generated Content" and I wrote this in probably under 5-10 minutes. Here's what ChatGPT had to tweak about it (AI-generated, which is plagiarism):

"Hey, hey! Hi! It's your neighborhood friendly trainwreck, Sara, here with a guidebook that I hope you'll find both useful and fun! ♡

So, what's the deal? Well, A Human's Guide to Detecting AI-Generated Content is exactly what it sounds like—a noob's (that's me!) perspective on spotting AI-generated text. I don't claim to be an expert, but I've been able to tell human writing apart from AI pretty effectively so far, and I'd love to share my tips and observations with you.

Why? Because this is a growing issue on the Internet, and I thought, 'Hey, why not give it a go?'

Full transparency: I use AI in my own writing, too. It's an amazing tool to help you get where you want to be. But I also believe in getting better at my craft, even with AI's help—and that's where this guide comes in.

So, if you're curious about how to spot the difference between human creativity and AI precision (and maybe laugh a little along the way), grab a cup of tea and join me on this journey. Let's figure it out together!"

Let's admit, this version is tightened for pace and flow, but it doesn't sound... real, at all. I myself hate it, even when I'm usually a pro-AI person *cries in existential crisis*

If I had to do a mix (AI-Human Hybrid—getting where you want to be):

Hey, hey, hi this is your neighborhood friendly trainwreck, Sara and I am here with a guidebook this time, I hope you find it useful! ♡

A Human's Guide to Detecting AI-Generated Content is exactly what it sounds like—a noob's (that's me!) perspective on spotting AI-generated text. I don't claim to be an expert, but I've been able to tell human writing apart from AI pretty effectively so far, and I'd love to share my tips and observations with you.

So, if you're curious about how to spot the difference between human creativity and AI precision (and maybe laugh a little along the way), grab a cup of tea and join me on this journey. Let's figure it out together!

Full transparency: I use AI in my own writing, too. It's a tool to help you get where you want to be. But I also believe in getting better at my craft, even with AI's help—and that's where this guide comes in.

I'm not changing the blurb, it feels better as it is, but if i had to edit it, it'd be something like this.

Let's get into the specifics:

AI-written is where you give a prompt and the system comes up with a response. It could include sharing your writing and telling it to enhance it or lengthen or shorten it, and it gives you some output.

Is this plagiarism? Yes, only if you publish this right away and claim it was written by you. It wasn't, you barely put in some effort. Maybe the maximum you wrote was a line or two dialogues but that still isn't the full story. So, more than half is written by AI here, and hence, its plagiarism.

AI-editing is where you wrote a chapter and you asked AI to edit it for SPAG, emotional depth, sequence or whatever that could be. I usually do this, but I have mixed opinions and perspective on this.

Is this plagiarism? Trick question. You wrote the work, you gave it to a machine and it generated an output. Heck, you even tweaked the parts back to what you wanted and didn't want, and you feel satisfied with the result. Is that cheating? I believe it isn't. As long as you put in some effort into writing things by yourself and editing it to make it better, you're doing good.

AI-Human hybrid: Ah, the one I am always the culprit of. Some parts are written by AI, some parts are written by human, what do I do? 'Castrate the wi'—okay, no, don't, not yet, please.

Is this plagiarism? Depends, I'd say. There are some sentences and descriptions that I cannot find suitable for the life of me until I try to dig through the holes and find a better alternative. But, please note that I'm saying sentences, and possibly one or two paragraphs in a two thousand word essay, story or post. Not five hundred words out of a thousand or the equivalent half.

Maybe it is better to leave your crooked sentence as is, but if you like the AI alternative, go for it. You could use Quillbot or ProWritingAid to help you on the same. These are minor rewrites/edits that enhance your writing and if you edit smartly enough, it'd blend almost seamlessly. Keyword: Almost. Nothing is better than normal human text, which might be crooked but your editor could help you make it better. And in this day and age, hope that they don't use AI to edit your work, *sigh*.

If you're confused if the amount of AI usage in your work (no, this isn't based on AI-detectors) here's a scale:

0-30% : Human Text, AI-Human hybrid, minor to no help.

[Not plagiarism] — GREEN AREA

30-60% : AI-edited text, AI-Human hybrid, AI Enhancements or Rewrites
[Mild Plagiarism] — GRAY AREA

Note: If you're using AI to edit your work and then making your own changes based on those suggestions, I think most people would consider that to be fair game. But if you're just taking the AI's edits wholesale and not adding anything of your own, then it starts to feel more like plagiarism. And the real danger is when people start relying too heavily on AI and stop putting in the work to develop their own writing skills. Like, if all you're doing is feeding prompts to an AI and then publishing the results, are you really even a writer at that point? Or are you just a really advanced AI user?

60-100% : AI generated, AI contribution of more than 50%
[Plagiarism] — RED AREA

Feel free to use the above image as a personal indicator of your reliance on AI :)

Again, this is not reflective of AI-tools, use your peanuts (or stakes, oops) to decide after thorough analyzation.

Conclusion: Over time, since the AI rage and skewed writing, I have come to appreciate the flawed, human writing. Sure, Natasha Preston's published works, which made it to New York Times Bestseller, might have grammar issues, but it's raw, and it's human.

The only time I ever used AI with reviews was Cloud Awards, Action/Adventure genre and I made a public announcement about it that since I was cramming on time, I'm going to take help, but you're still getting something that's authentic, if not completely fabricated.

In all honesty, I'm trying to improve as a writer, and I think, you should too. Let your flaws show up, let your mistakes shine, because they are proof that a human put effort into it. Maybe that's what matters at the end of the day. :)