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Writer's pictureDenise Dethlefsen

AI and Workflows

I have to say I have a strong love/hate relationship with AI (artificial intelligence) driven technologies. It seems like unchecked AI makes it too easy to 'change reality' as has already been seen in advertising, "news" items, and even where celebrities have recently sued to

Photo collection of 4 abstract images titled "Cliffs at Dusk"
Cliffs at Dusk (De-noise software with AI component used)

keep AI versions of their voices/likenesses from being circulated. While editing photos to add or remove people or other elements has been done nearly since photography was invented, adding or removing them en masse has become so much easier with AI. My dislike for it comes with the viewpoint that it offers too many easy opportunities to hurt others.


On the other hand, I love that AI components within the software I use make post-processing my photos so much easier. It's really nice to remove that pesky fence post (or blue dragonfly,

Photo of a water lily before being post-processed
Water lily as it looked straight from the camera

as in the image here) without having to spend ages trying to keep the area looking natural; or many of the tiny, bright, white spots caused by sun reflections on water. Or, most especially, to remove noise without having artificial color shifts or unexpected artifacts showing up (this happened with an older software where I was attempting to remove noise, but the grasses kept ending up with random areas looking like a funky basket-weave texture). For those who might not know, a quick example of noise is the multicolored spots that show up on the dark sky when you zoom in to look at

Photo of water lily following processing and edits
Water lily after edits using AI-assisted software

the photo of the moon. Noise can also cause the image to look a bit fuzzy or lose definition, so in our example, the craters wouldn't show up well. All images in this post except the one straight from camera have been lightly sharpened, brightened, and the noise, dust and spots cleaned up using the tools that AI-assisted software offers.


Another example of AI as a tool is a feature that's now available as I write my blog posts, and I've already used this one a few times. I can write a sentence or a paragraph, select it, then ask the AI writing tool to give me a sample rewrite in several different "voices." I can choose Professional, Casual, Funny, Confident, or Enthusiastic. To be honest, I've found some of its suggestions really silly, but there can be words or phrases suggested that improve what I'm trying to convey.


Just for fun, here's an example from an earlier post of a draft paragraph I wrote and that I asked the AI tool to tweak in Funny voice and Casual voice.

Photo of a male mountain bluebird resting between attacks on windows and mirrors
Male mountain bluebird resting between attacks on windows and mirrors

My draft: While we were camping there, we discovered that, like turkeys, mountain bluebirds have no self-awareness -- they try to beat up their reflections. We watched a pair attack the windows of the neighboring campers' vehicle, and then, while they were away, the sides, windows and mirrors of our vehicle got smeared with droppings simply because the birds could not abide "that invading pair" they could see in the windows. It often seemed like the female was goading her mate to attack the windows while she watched, but I saw her attack that "enemy female" a few times too.


Writing AI Funny voice (a bit annoying): While we were out camping, we stumbled upon a hilarious discovery -- mountain bluebirds are like the turkeys of the bird world when it comes

Photo of a pretty country road with leaves turning yellow
Pretty curve found on a recent road trip

to self-awareness! These feathered friends were on a mission to take down their own reflections. We witnessed a dynamic duo launching a full-on assault on the windows of the neighboring campers' vehicle. And guess what? When they left, our vehicle became a canvas for their artistic droppings because they couldn't stand the sight of their "rivals" in the windows. It was like watching a comedic drama unfold, with the female bird cheerleading her partner's window-wars while occasionally joining in herself. Oh, the drama in the avian world!


Writing AI Casual voice (really annoying): During our little adventure, we stumbled upon a hilarious discovery: mountain bluebirds are basically like turkeys, without a clue! They go bonkers trying to outdo their own reflections. We witnessed a dynamic duo going full throttle on the neighboring campers' car windows, and later, leaving our vehicle's sides, windows, and mirrors plastered with birdie business because they couldn't stand the sight of their "intruding rivals." It felt like the lady bluebird was the mastermind behind the glassy attacks, goading her partner while she enjoyed the show, but hey, she wasn't shy to join in on the fun and give that "enemy female" a piece of her mind too. Oh, the drama in the bird world!

Photo of a Steller's jay on the ground while looking for food
Steller's jay watching for handouts

As you can see, these are definitely not MY voice! However, this tool can speed up the pace of my writing by providing suggestions I hadn't considered, and that I can easily incorporate. As far as my photo post-processing workflow, I'll certainly take advantage of the pixel awareness of photo-editing and noise reduction software that makes my work easier. But don't expect me to embrace, or even try out ChatGPT or other AI content generators. They're too invasive for my comfort. I read "1984" in high school, and if AI generators had existed when it was written, their products would likely have become as much characters in the storyline as the ever-present pictures of Big Brother, especially the one with the hidden feature. And I suspect that's where my chief discomfort with AI lies -- the feeling that it's always "watching you."

Photo of a juvenile Steller's jay demanding to be fed although it has fledged and the parent ignores its behavior
Juvenile Steller's jay demanding to be fed although it has fledged and the parent ignores its behavior

In the meantime, please enjoy my AI-assisted writing and photo edits, and the random assortment of images with this post. I'm always trying to improve what I have to offer for your home, office, or commercial space, including by occasionally going back and re-processing previously posted images so that they're cleaner, brighter and more appealing. Please review my website, www.DeniseDethlefsen.com, for ideas.



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