here’s my stance
on AI use
As an artist, writer, and educator it is vital be transparent about my beliefs because I am working with and supporting artists.
To put my policy simply, I don’t use AI chatbot tools at all in my work. Not for research, not for editing, and definitely not for creating.
I’m AI sober, and a Luddite. I’ve written an essay going into great detail about this idea, and wrote about what AI Sobriety looks like in practice.
If you’d rather listen, I had a great conversation with Amelia Hruby on Off The Grid about AI Sobriety, another with Emily Hall on Soil and Stars about Earth Intelligence.
what do you mean by AI?
AI or machine learning has been around for years, but LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini) are harming our minds, our intuitions and the planet. I don’t use these chatbot tools, and will continue to refrain from them, even as the internet makes it harder and harder to avoid them. They give you the illusion of efficiency and convenience while robbing you of the satisfaction of succeeding at hard things.
but, why not get on the hype train?
In solidarity with working class folks under threat by these systems, not using these tools hasn’t harmed my ability to make a living, write a weekly newsletter, or share my work on the internet. I just opt out.
The way these tools work is in direct opposition with my values. I make art about climate grief and loving the earth. The companies behind these “tools” are stealing power and potable water. They are polluting cities. They are creating weapons of social contagion, and weapons of war that are harming our society wholesale. The CEOs of most major AI companies are arrogant supervillains threatening the labor power of global workers. Boycotting and avoiding the use of something that has been found to make people work more and experience mental health psychosis doesn’t feel like I am missing out on anything.
it feels liberating and delicious to not use this tech!
I love teaching others practices and processes that root us in our bodies and make us feel deep pleasure. I’ve reshaped my life — one where I previously worked at Apple teaching tech literacy— to one where my goal is to get people to use tech less, and if they do, find ways to make it into a partner rather than a thief. An extractive and addictive chat bot connected to the larger U.S. Surveillance apparatus is a hard pass for me. Why would I give up such a sacred thing as thinking or art to a corporate tuned bot?
here is my AI POLICY:
I am not a perfect person, and I need to admit right now that I previously tried and used AI. But with much reflecting, I found both Claude and ChatGPT to be addictive and dangerous so I stopped using them. Looking back, these technologies made me disconnect from my intuition and forced me to keep working well beyond burnout. Writing an AI Policy was step for me to say “I’m not doing this anymore.”
There is a crisis of credibility now that so many people are using bots to generate slop. So, if you want people to trust you, consider writing an AI policy of your own. It is incredibly important to be fully transparent about any and all machine learning or AI adjacent tools we use in our work and marketing. Especially if the work you do supports artists, writers, or creatives of any kind.
I don’t want to judge or shame you if you use AI tools currently, but want to simply invite you to consider abstaining.
“generative” ai:
I do not use any Generative AI features for any writing, editing, scripting or idea generation. The writing you see all over this site and on my blog is written by me, a human artist.
I previously used Grammarly for proofreading in 2023 and early 2024 but no longer do. Typos keep me human.
In 2023 and 2024, I tried and used both ChatGPT and Claude as “business advice givers” because I had no idea what I was doing to sell my art as a business. I saw the “free service” as an opportunity to learn and experiment. I found both to be addictive and unhelpful, so I stopped using them after learning more about how they worked, and what the privacy trade offs were in regards to use.
I do not use and have not used any generative image or video AI features in my work or as references. I especially would never use a generative AI image to accompany my writing on my blog. I made this whole class to help writers stop generating images to support their work.
I do not consent to my work being used to train AI, and I wish we had more of a choice in this.
I divested from Instagram and Facebook due to their content policies and AI stance. I still have a public profile as a portfolio.
I quit TikTok after their new surveillance policies that target minorities, disabled people, and immigrants.
I stopped posting video essays and free classes to YouTube in July of 2026.
This website is searchable through generative AI chat tools, but AI is not used in “optimizing” the site for visibility. This decision isn’t one I took lightly, but most searches on the internet happen through AI now. After a conversation with a computer scientist friend, I learned that even opting out is often ignored by LLMs, a huge blow to artists.
machine learning:
I use on-device machine-learning powered voice-to-text features such as Dictation, Transcription in Voice Memos. These are private, and none of my data is being shared with a large surveillance company.
For accessibility, I enable machine learning auto-captioning with YouTube, Zoom, Apple & Spotify Podcasts.
I do still post to Substack which utilizes a recommendation algorithm to push my work to new audiences. Substack also has a new feature integration with Pangram
As of June 2026, I occasionally utilize a machine-learning tool called Auphonic to clean up my voice for podcasting when human techniques can’t solve a problem.
I use a human-centered offline tech tool called Obsidian for idea generation and mind-mapping as an alternative to generative “assistants”
I also use Notion as a project tracking tool, but reached out to their support team to remove the AI features from my account. They were super nice about it too!
This website is searchable through AI tools, but AI is not used in “optimizing” the site for visibility. This decision isn’t one I took lightly, but most searches on the internet happen through AI now. After a conversation with a computer scientist friend, I learned that even opting out is often ignored by LLMs, a huge blow to artists.
As you can see, I am not perfect at abstaining from all machine learning, algorithm driven tools. I love using technology and it supports a lot of my work. but I can both use a tool and be critical of it. I am not expecting perfection or “ai sobriety” from everyone.
Instead, we should all be mindful of how the tools we use shape the art and work we make. It is important to be very careful with where we put our time, energy, and ideas, as the oligarch-owned corporations value only the product of art, not the process.
Persisting in a creative practice of any kind, is an act of rebellion and solidarity against the greed that wants to destroy artists. I’d love to support you in persisting in your practice.
what about folks
you work with?
I always talk through my AI policy in client contracts depending on the work we do together.
but, I am not a cop and don’t expect everyone to be AI sober.
Generally, I want to encourage folks to be curious about abstaining from AI use, and see how using it less can help them slow down and be more intentional.
I no longer allow agentic or generative AI to be used during our work sessions, and suggest avoiding it on projects related to your human creative craft and intuition.
I’m okay with folks using it in their systems, but I am not okay with it being used in a way that replaces my labor.
want some more context?
I made a video all about why I’m AI sober:
If you liked that video,
note that I don’t take sponsorships
or make real income through YouTube.
Consider supporting the work I do by:
below is my web-ring of
human artists & writers
abstaining from AI alongside me
Want to join? Just fill out the google form!
Misty Granade (she/her) https://misty.granades.com/
Misty Granade is an abstract mixed media artist from Alabama. While she has been an artist her whole life, her professional artist career started in 2013. Her interests range across a variety of arts and crafts such as contemporary mixed media art, art journaling, book binding, eco dying, and crochet. Misty enjoys helping other artists explore their own creative paths. She writes about art and process on her blog. She has published articles in online and print magazines. She's taught art journaling classes both online and in person and been a community facilitator for an online art community. Misty's work has been a part of numerous solo and group shows.
Jessica Snow (she/her) https://youaremagicla.com/
I am a special kind of artist - my real "art pieces" are what YOU experience when you are meditating or practicing magic with me. I make philosophical/magical artworks and experiences in almost every media, and my aim is always the same - to keep us connected to the wellspring of magic, healing and goodwill life offers us and then use that connection on the behalf of the collective.
Brit (she/her) www.brittonestep.com
I’m an art and writing elder. I have mostly curated my creativity in smaller spaces and generated creativity in my work in education. In 2023 I began to write fan fiction and that rebooted my creative practice. I did get an MFA in Creative Writing which I am not embarrassed about! I value what that means now more than ever.
Tansy E. Hoskins (she/her) https://tansyhoskins.org/
Tansy Hoskins is an award-winning author and journalist who investigates the global fashion industry. Her books include The Anti-Capitalist Book Of Fashion which Vogue selected for the 'Best Fashion Books Of All Time’ and Foot Work – What Your Shoes Tell You About Globalisation. Tansy has won the ICA Bookshop Book of the Year Award, and been nominated for a British Journalism Award. She is a trainer at the Centre for Investigative Journalism. Tansy lectures on the politics of fashion supply chains across the UK at universities, museums, cultural events and political gatherings and regularly does the ‘heavy lifting’ for media interviews and discussions on the workings of the global garment industry. Meta stole her books to train its LLM.
A Queer Photog (they/them) https://www.aqueerphotog.com/
I’m Holly Stevens (they/them), a queer photographer, plant lover & parent based in the PNW. I create heirloom-quality photography of families, lovers, and more—shot on 100% film. My obsession with photography began almost two decades ago as a preteen; what began as a knack for capturing my friends grew into a lifelong artistic practice and the best job I could ask for. In my work I endeavor especially to document and elevate the lived experience of the queer community, as well as other communities facing marginalization and erasure. My imagery is intimate and joyful, exploring themes of anti-perfectionism and radical presence. I am deeply dedicated to making my clients feel lovingly cared for while we shoot, never rushing or pressuring—always sinking into the present moment. Ultimately, the purpose of my work is simply reflecting your lived experience back to you, showing that you are already a work of art, exactly as you are.
Gill Dreher (she/her) http://www.gill-d.com
I am an artist and therapist who previously worked in tech and now helps teens, adults, and families connect to themselves and each other. While I still utilize technology in my work and am tech-curious, I am staunchly AI sober.