I have left Substack

Enshittification + n*zis + right wing fuqery + AI = bye bitch 👋🏼

I’ve been feeling uneasy about Substack for a while for all the reasons listed in the post description above. And because I’m trying to be the change I want to see in the world, leaving is an easy decision. This piece in The Atlantic clarifies the issue, and while differing opinions are welcome (debate is healthy, after all), when n*zis and white supremists are thriving on your platform and you’re okay with that, something has gone very, very wrong. 

The final push was the news that Substack had partnered with Pangram, so that ‘you’ll be able to scan text to see how much of it was likely written by hand or with AI assistance’. While it was shocking, it wasn’t entirely surprising. I have no interest in having what I write run through a system that purports to determine whether I wrote it myself, so I’m looking elsewhere. I know AI is here to stay, but I can’t help but feel that it’s the beginning of the end for humans, and I’m trying not to let this fact unravel my mind. 

A couple of months ago, I ran some of my unpublished writing from ten years ago through an AI detector and it returned a 91% positive result. This solidified for me (for the bajillionth time) how we cannot and should not trust this shit. 

In 2023 when I was doing my M.Phil, I was on the periphery of a conversation with some academics who were talking over each other excitably about something called chatgpt. I’d never heard of it which at the time made me feel a bit dense as they espoused both its virtues and dangers. Now, I feel a little smug that I was still living in an AI-free bubble and this comes down to two reasons: I’m a Gen X’er who is suspicious of anything non-analogue and my memoir was about to be published. This was before everyone knew about large language models (LLMs) cannibalising the work of authors the world over. 

I haven’t yet decided where I’ll migrate my writing to. There are a few options and I had a chat with Ruby from Literary Luddite, who has moved her oeuvre to Ghost. I’ll keep supporting my friends who share their writing on Substack and there’s zero judgement from me if you choose this platform - I’m just doing what feels right for me, although it gets a little murky because I support people by way of paid subscriptions. I’m more than happy to pay for their work (bloody thrilled, even) which inevitably leaves me in thrall to the beast, but hey - baby steps. 

Whatever happens, I’ll let you know where I wash up. But just remember that all of this ends and you’re going to die one day (if you know anything about me, I’m all about perspective). 

Big love ♥️