In this episode of Matthew Wayne Selznick Creates, I share my thoughts after re-evaluating my position on generative artificial intelligence as it pertains to the creative life.
Mild spoiler alert: no, I’m still not going to use AI in my own creative endeavors.
Listen (or watch!) to learn how my opinions have changed in the three years since I last tackled the topic. It might give you something to think about. Or maybe it’ll just piss you off.
This episode was recorded on April 17, 2026.
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Links and Topics Mentioned in This Episode
- My creative services for authors and podcasters. Can I help you? Book a free discovery call and let’s find out.
- My fiction and non-fiction.
- The Scribtotum article and Sonitotum podcast episode from when I first defined my position on generative Ai and creativity.
- The companion Scribtotum article to this episode.
- Rowan Farrow’s The New Yorker article on Sam Altman is behind a paywall, but this episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour is a good stand-in.
- Anthropic’s conflict with the Pentagon.
- This episode was recorded using my Pixel 9a and Dual Pros Mini Mic Pro.
- Support the show with a one-time donation, with my thanks!
Thanks to the Patron Members of the Multiversalists Community
Thank you to J.C. Hutchins, thank you to Jim Lewinson, thank you Amelia Bowen, thank you Ted Leonhardt, thank you to Charles Eugene Anderson, thank you to Scott Roche, thank you to Harold Johnson, thank you to David Mackler, and thank you to Sam Cherubin.
Chapters / Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction
02:25 – Thinking About AI and the Creative Life
03:00 – Issues with How AI Companies Build Their Products
05:25 – The Ethical Stance I Took Regarding My Use of AI
06:44 – Why I Have No Interest In Using AI to Write for Me
08:17 – I Want AI to Do My Laundry
08:45 – How AI Has Changed Since My Original Ethical Statement
10:37 – The Rise of Agentic AI
11:40 – Offloading Digital Busy Work
12:12 – The Issue is Time and Focus
15:00 – Setting Up Agentic AI Systems to Take Back Time
16:06 – I Will Not Use ChatGPT or Support Sam Altman
17:12 – Why I Use Claude and Anthropic Products
17:58 – Getting AI to “Do My Laundry”
18:52 – Why I’m Willing to Make These Changes and Use These Tools
20:17 – Putting Persistant Ethical Concerns Into Perspective
22:05 – The Thin Line Between Principles and Self-Sabotage
27:35 – Some of You Might Consider This a Betrayal. Or Not.
28:36 – Balancing My Life While There’s Still Life to Balance
29:38 – Other Content Since the Last Episode of this Podcast
30:50 – Expect More Content to Do With Agentic AI as it Relates to the Creative Life
32:53 – Where Do You Sit On This Topic? Leave a Comment!
33:37 – Outro / Conclusion
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