Look, I’ve been holding this in for too long, but I’m done. I’m done with seeing yet another thread derailed by some AI-generated word salad that reeks of privilege and laziness, and—let’s just call it what it is—usually comes from white dudes who think they’re being clever. Y’all, it’s not clever. It’s exhausting, it’s disrespectful, and it’s killing the soul of this community. Buckle up, because I’m about to lay this out.
Resetera is supposed to be a space for real, human conversations. We’re here to wrestle with ideas, share experiences, and hold each other accountable—not to read some soulless, algorithmically churned-out drivel that sounds like it was scraped from a Reddit thread and run through a buzzword blender. But lately, I’ve noticed a pattern. Too many posts—especially in hot-button threads about representation, diversity, or literally anything that requires a shred of empathy—read like they were spat out by ChatGPT or whatever shiny new AI toy is trending. And nine times out of ten, when I check the post history or profile, it’s a white guy who’s been here for five minutes, thinking he can game the system with a wall of text that says nothing.
Why does this hit me so hard? Because it’s not just about bad posts. It’s about what this behavior represents. White men, as a group, already have the loudest megaphone in society. You’ve got the most access, the most platforms, the most unearned benefit of the doubt. And instead of using that privilege to engage authentically—maybe listen, learn, or contribute something real—you’re out here outsourcing your thoughts to a machine? A machine that’s trained on the internet’s worst biases, no less? Come on. It’s like showing up to a potluck with a store-bought pie and acting like you baked it yourself. Except the pie’s also full of stereotypes and microaggressions, because that’s what AI pulls from when you don’t steer it with any actual care.
Let me break it down. When you use AI to generate a post, you’re not just cheating the community—you’re undermining the trust we’ve built here. Resetera thrives because people show up with their real voices, their real struggles, their real perspectives. That’s why we have strict rules about authenticity and why we ban people who try to game the system. But more than that, it’s insulting to the marginalized folks who pour their hearts out here, only to get some half-baked, AI-crafted “counterpoint” that sounds like it was written by a corporate PR bot. You think you’re owning the thread, but all you’re doing is proving you don’t care enough to actually think for yourself.
And don’t come at me with “it’s just a tool” or “I’m just saving time.” If you’re so busy you can’t write your own post, maybe sit that thread out. Nobody’s forcing you to weigh in on every single topic. And if you are using AI because you don’t trust your own voice, then maybe that’s a sign you need to do some introspection instead of flooding the forum with noise. Tools amplify intent, and when your intent is to half-ass your way through a conversation, it shows.
This isn’t just a Resetera problem—it’s a cultural one. AI’s already being weaponized to drown out real voices, from fake reviews to propaganda to, yes, forum posts. And who’s leading the charge? Too often, it’s the same demographic that’s been coasting on systemic advantages forever, now leaning on tech to keep their grip on the narrative without doing the work. Meanwhile, the rest of us—Black folks, women, queer people, anyone who’s had to fight to be heard—are stuck wading through your synthetic slop to have a real conversation. It’s not just lazy; it’s entitled.
So, here’s my plea: stop. Just stop. If you’re a white dude tempted to fire up Grok or whatever to “contribute” to a thread, take a step back. Ask yourself why you feel the need to speak at all. If you’ve got something worth saying, say it in your own words. If you don’t, then listen. Lurking is free. And if you’re just here to stir the pot with AI-generated nonsense, don’t be surprised when you catch a ban. We’re not playing.
Resetera’s better than this. We deserve better than this. Do better.