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These days, it feels like everywhere I look, someone’s talking about how they use AI to write. Social media captions, emails, full-on blog posts—you name it. And honestly? I get why people love it.

AI tools like ChatGPT have made writing faster and easier than ever. Even the hosting plan I use for my blog comes with built-in AI writing help. I could turn it on anytime and let it do the writing for me if I wanted to.

But as someone who truly enjoys writing, not just the final result, but the actual process, I’ve found myself setting a boundary.

I’ve been writing since 2013, and by 2016, I was fully committed to it. I kept showing up, kept practising, and slowly, my writing got better. No AI tools were involved. In fact, there were no AI tools back then—at least none that I knew of. It was just me, figuring things out, learning through trial and error, and growing with every piece I published.

Now it’s 2025, and AI is everywhere. It makes things easier, no doubt. So to say I don’t use it at all wouldn’t be honest.

Yes, I use AI.

But no, I don’t let it write for me.

✅ I Use AI (Just Not in the Way You Think)

Let’s get one thing clear: I’m not against AI.

In fact, I do use it in my writing process. When I’m stuck, I’ll ask it to help me brainstorm. If a sentence feels awkward, it can suggest a better way to say it. Sometimes, it helps me find the right word, explain something more clearly, or even understand vocabulary I’m unsure about.

And when I need help with structure, like a blog post outline, caption ideas, or even things like SEO-friendly titles, focus keyphrases, and meta descriptions, it’s honestly super useful. 

To me, AI is like a writing buddy that throws out ideas, but never actually types for me. Since I don’t have anyone to bounce writing ideas off, AI fills that gap pretty well.

But when it comes to actually writing, putting thoughts into words, adding my personality, my stories, and that weird little way I write like I’m just chatting with a friend, AI just doesn’t cut it. It sounds a bit too stiff, too robotic. And most importantly, it’s not me. 

✅ Because My Voice Matters More Than Perfection

One of the biggest reasons I don’t fully rely on AI is simple: I care about my work.

I’ve spent years shaping the way I write. It’s personal. It’s playful. It’s warm, sometimes a little cheeky, sometimes reflective, sometimes dramatic (you know how I get). But most of all, it’s me. And while AI can try to mimic a tone, it can’t capture the way I connect with you through my words.

I write from experience—with stories to tell, thoughts to explore, and feelings behind every sentence. Letting AI do it for me? I just wouldn’t feel the same pride or satisfaction.

And honestly? I don’t want to lose the writing skill I’ve worked so hard to build. Like any skill, if you stop practising, it fades. I’ve been writing for years, and it’s something I’m genuinely proud of. I never want to lose that—not even a little bit.

✅ I Want to Stay Connected to My Creativity

There’s a satisfaction that happens when you write something from scratch—when you chase a messy thought, slowly shape it into something clearer, and finally hit publish with that little flutter in your chest… because it came from you.

But when I let AI take over too much, I start to lose that spark. The process feels too easy, too clean, like skipping all the hard parts that actually make writing feel rewarding. Suddenly, the article is there… but it doesn’t feel like mine.

No judgment to anyone who loves using AI. We all create differently, and that’s okay. But for me, it’s important to draw a line.

I’m not just writing for the sake of posting something. I want what I write to mean something. To feel honest. To feel real. Even if that means it takes a bit longer, or I run into creative blocks sometimes, I’d rather take the slow, messy, meaningful path than lose my voice along the way.

✅ When AI Does Help Me (And I’m Grateful)

AI can be super helpful when used the right way.

When I’m staring at a blank page, not knowing where to start, it gives me a little push. When I need ideas to bounce around, it offers options. And when I’ve read the same paragraph over and over, and I’m not even sure if it makes sense anymore? AI steps in and helps me clean it up.

It also helps me with SEO—from picking a strong title, to choosing a focus keyphrase, to writing meta descriptions. When I can’t decide between two options, it helps me weigh the pros and cons. And for visuals? AI-generated images save me from randomly grabbing photos off Google, which I never want to do. Like this image, for example, I gave a prompt to generate just for this post: 

So yes, it’s a tool, not a crutch.

I use AI to help polish my sentences, spark ideas, or find the right word, especially because I write in English, and it’s not my first language. I’m also writing to encourage my community to learn English in the simplest, most approachable way possible. So I keep my vocabulary simple, and AI really helps me with that.

But no matter how much help I get, the final voice—and the heart of the message—will always be mine.

✅ “Written by Hani”— Not by AI

“Written by Hani” is what I focus on. That means every sentence was shaped by me: no shortcuts, no AI takeover. Perfection has never been the goal. What I care about is that my writing feels real. Human. A little imperfect. A little quirky. Like I’m sitting across from you with a coffee in hand, just telling you how I feel.

Sure, AI can help when I need a little support. But it can’t write for me—not in a way that feels true to who I am.

And honestly? I like it that way.

I’m proud of my writing, even when it’s messy. Because every piece comes from me, from hours (sometimes days) of thinking, writing, rewriting. From real emotions, lived experiences, and my genuine hope that someone out there will read it and feel a little more seen.

If you’re a writer or a blogger, I know you get it.

Until then.

X, Hani