Quality Concerns

Now, let’s discuss some of the quality issues I encountered. The content felt rather superficial—each subheading lacked in-depth exploration of the applications mentioned by ChatGPT. For instance, I would have preferred a more detailed analysis on why handwritten note-taking with the iPad is advantageous, along with specific app recommendations.

Take a look at the subsection titled “Boost Productivity with Workflow Apps” from the aforementioned blog. It states:

“You want to read more blogs? Become a member and support me and thousands of other writers directly. If you use my link, I get paid a monthly commission, however, at no extra cost for you.”

“The iPad Pro is equipped with a robust operating system (iOS) that supports a wide range of productivity and workflow apps. Apps like Shortcuts, Trello, or Evernote allow you to automate repetitive tasks, create customized workflows, and manage your tasks and projects efficiently. You can create shortcuts to automate tasks like creating a new document, adding a reminder, or sending an email, saving you time and effort. Workflow apps can significantly enhance your productivity by streamlining your workflow, allowing you to focus on your research and academic tasks.”

These examples—Shortcuts, Trello, and Evernote—are well-known and outdated. A more relevant question would be, “Which specific shortcuts do you utilize to enhance your workflow?” The details provided felt too vague to convey substantial value.

One positive change I noticed compared to ChatGPT-3 was the variation in introductory sentences for each subsection. In the previous version, the beginnings were monotonous, simply swapping out keywords while maintaining the same structure. For example, each subsection began with:

“As a Ph.D. student, taking and organizing notes is a crucial part of your academic routine.”

The next might read:

“As a Ph.D. student, writing and editing is a crucial part of your academic routine.”

And so on, creating an uninspired rhythm. I have witnessed this repetitiveness in numerous instances with ChatGPT-3, even encountering a similar blog submission to my publication, Beyond Productivity, which I ultimately had to reject.

Overall, if you pay attention to what you read, it becomes evident when a blog is purely AI-generated without human oversight. Using AI for writing isn’t inherently negative, but it’s crucial to review and enhance the readability of the content.

Personally, after my latest experience with ChatGPT and a scientific query, I’m less inclined to use AI for writing. My followers on Twitter may already be aware of this shift. I plan to write a blog about that experience, so stay tuned for updates.

Some may argue, “I prioritize quantity and the revenue at the end of the month.” Fair enough—let's move on to the performance metrics.

Performance Metrics

Reflecting my earlier critiques, the performance statistics told a similar story. In just eight days, the blog garnered 191 unique views, with only 20 of those being actual reads—a disheartening 10% engagement rate.

Lifetime views of the AI-generated blog. Image by author.

It seems that readers can instinctively recognize, whether consciously or unconsciously, when a text has been generated by AI. Given the flat nature of this productivity blog, it’s no surprise that the average reading time was just one minute and 24 seconds.

Blog earnings for the last eight days. Image by author.

Since its publication, the post earned a mere $2.19, with a total reading time of one hour and 21 minutes. To put this in perspective, my prior blog on the iPad amassed a reading time of 28 hours and 22 minutes. Notably, 90% of the views were external, making this blog the most successful in terms of initial performance.

I hope this analysis illustrates that relying on AI for writing may not be worthwhile. If I continued to publish daily blogs solely generated by AI, I would likely risk losing a significant portion of my audience.

Ultimately, AI-generated content fails to offer genuine value—both for readers and for creators. It’s best to invest effort into your own writing.

In my next blog, we will explore the potential dangers of using AI for research. Stay tuned!