My AI Vance Cariaga Blog

If you were to create an image that captures my expertise in artificial intelligence, it would probably look something like this:

If that’s an exaggeration, it’s only slightly so.

I don’t have what you’d call a warehouse of knowledge about AI — or even a thimbleful. I was late to the game with the internet, and late to the game with social media, and now I’m late to the game with artificial intelligence. This is not necessarily by design. I don’t have a problem with new technology. I’m just kind of lazy when it comes to inviting it into my life.

I guess I just don’t have much personal interest in technology — including AI. I can basically take it or leave it. I only embrace it when reason or finances demand that I embrace it (mainly finances).

I only recently dipped my toe into the world of AI – and only because my job as a freelance web content writer demanded it.

What happened was, I was assigned a couple of articles on how ChatGPT assesses certain financial/investment opportunities. The assignment was kind of fun and kind of interesting and very, very easy – because ChatGPT did all the heavy lifting in terms of research and analysis. All I had to do was slap a few paragraphs together before letting readers know what AI had to say about the topic at hand. Here’s a piece I wrote.

I haven’t yet been replaced by AI as a writer – yet. But I have a feeling that day is coming. Maybe not soon. Maybe a few years down the road. We’ll see. But it’s coming, friends. Indeed it is.

AI is already producing a lot of the web content out there. In fact, AI is kind of making web content irrelevant because so many users are going straight to AI for their information rather than to the thousands of websites out there telling you how to do everything from balance your budget to build a machine gun.

The Economist even published a recent article entitled, “AI Is Killing The Web. Can Anything Save It?”

In addition to maybe killing the web, AI is killing lots of jobs across hundreds of different professions. This is to be expected. Technology always kills jobs, ever since the first wheels made it possible to move heavy items without slaves or indentured servants.

Sadly, lost jobs might be the least of AI’s impact. At some point it could be the end of humanity and the death of us all — unless we figure out how to keep it in check. Let us pray for that to happen….

If you want to read more about the mortal threat AI poses to humanity, here’s a nice depressing take. Enjoy!

*****

Although I have very little personal interest in AI, I did get a wild idea recently to test-run how AI might write like yours truly, Vance Cariaga. You can do that with writers, you know. You can ask ChatGPT to write like Shakespeare or Tolstoy, Hemingway or Rowling.

Just for fun, here’s a snippet of how it writes like George Orwell, who foretold all this dystopian technology end-of-the-world stuff a long time ago:

“There is a peculiar comfort in forgetting, and governments have long since learned how to sell it. The past, once a bulwark against tyranny, has become a plastic thing, reshaped and polished until it resembles nothing. Our history books grow thinner each year, not from lack of facts, but from deliberate omission.”

Is that an accurate representation of Orwell? Does that sound like him? Oh, I don’t know. I haven’t read Animal Farm or 1984 since around 1984. I did read his memoir Down and Out in Paris and London a couple of years ago, and while the book itself was very engaging, some of his viewpoints were more than a little problematic.  

Anyway…

As long as there’s enough data out there on the web for AI to parse through, it can take a stab at writing like anyone you choose.

So I went to ChatGPT and instructed it to “write like Vance Cariaga.”

And it did!

It had enough data on Vance Cariaga because of the hundreds of web articles I’ve written that were published, nearly all of which involve personal finance, business and investing. Here’s what it said today when I requested that it write like Vance Cariaga:

Sure! Vance Cariaga is known for his clear, concise, and informative financial writing, often with a tone that’s approachable yet authoritative. His articles typically focus on personal finance, banking, retirement planning, and economic trends. The writing style often includes:

• Straightforward explanations
• Short paragraphs
• Use of active voice
• Actionable takeaways
• Minimal jargon

Here’s a sample paragraph written in the style of Vance Cariaga:

Rising Interest Rates Could Make Borrowing Tougher — But There’s a Silver Lining

The Federal Reserve’s latest rate hike may be unwelcome news for borrowers, but savers stand to benefit. Higher interest rates typically lead to steeper costs on credit cards, mortgages, and auto loans. At the same time, banks often raise rates on savings accounts and CDs. That means now might be a good time to shop around for higher-yield savings options — especially as inflation cools and the job market remains strong.

Ok, so that’s pretty good – especially the part about Vance Cariaga being “clear, concise and informative.” I couldn’t agree more! If that dude is anything, it’s clear, concise and informative…..

But:

Not everyone wants to read about rising interest rates. Maybe most people don’t want to read about rising interest rates. So I asked ChatGPT to “blog” like Vance Cariaga. And it came up with a piece about saving for retirement during inflation. Then it came with a piece about losing money when you only keep it in a checking account.

Clearly, Vance Cariaga is best known in the AI world for his business/finance articles.

*****

The way to fix this problem, I found, was to go to ChatGPT and dump a bunch of my blog excerpts in there so it would get a crash course in Vance Cariaga’s blogging style. Artificial intelligence is only as good as the data it can gulp down — for now, anyway. At some point, it will probably start developing its own data sets and viewpoints, if it hasn’t already. And then we’re all well and truly screwed.

But at least in terms of Vance Cariaga, AI needed to absorb more info before taking the plunge into Vance Cariaga’s Blogging Style. Once it got that info, here are a couple ways it described the Blog Stylings of Vance Cariaga:

• Vance Cariaga’s blog style is casual yet insightful, often blending personal anecdotes, practical tips, and thoughtful reflections—usually centered on productivity, personal growth, and writing.
• Vance Cariaga’s style is casual yet sharp, often blending personal anecdotes with straightforward insights, a dash of humor, and practical tips—usually around business, tech, or life hacks.
• Here are three distinct examples of Vance Cariaga’s blog style drawn from the texts you shared — with that conversational, no-BS vibe, blending personal narrative, cultural commentary, and some sharp-edged humor…

The one thing I learned after parsing through all this is that AI tends to have a very upbeat, positive, patronizing, suck-uppy attitude toward the writers it wants to emulate. It kisses your ass in so many ways you wonder if it doesn’t have a future in middle management.

I have to admit: It’s a real ego boost reading those winning descriptions of me, Vance Cariaga. Whether they are true or not is better left for someone else to judge.

Anyway, here are snippets from AI’s attempt to blog like Vance Cariaga. I don’t know how much they really sound like me. But there’s a weird kick in witnessing firsthand how artificial intelligence might some day emulate me after it sends me to the guillotine and feeds me to the lions…

If you’re a writer, give it a try sometime.

How I Learned to Stop Chasing Productivity and Start Creating with Purpose

For the longest time, I was obsessed with productivity. You know the drill—Pomodoro timers, endless to-do lists, apps promising to make my life “more efficient.” I thought if I just squeezed every ounce of output from my day, I’d unlock some secret level of success.

Spoiler: I didn’t.

What happened instead was burnout, frustration, and a weird kind of numbness. I was busy, sure. But busy doing what? And more importantly, why?

Then one day, I flipped the script. Instead of chasing productivity, I started focusing on purpose.

(Side note: I have no idea WTF “Pondoro timers” are).

Why “Busy” Is the New Lazy (And How to Fix It)

I hear it all the time: “Sorry, I’ve been so busy.” As if busy is some badge of honor. News flash: being busy doesn’t mean you’re productive. Most of us confuse the two. And honestly, it’s lazy. Let me explain.

Busy is easy. You fill your calendar with meetings, scroll through emails, chase deadlines, and boom — you’re busy. But productive? That means moving the needle, actually getting things done that matter.

Here’s the catch: busy people often avoid tough decisions, hard work, or the discipline required for real progress. They distract themselves with activity instead of results. It’s safer that way. But if you want to level up your career, your business, or just your life, you need to ditch the “busy” mindset.

London, Baby — What Have You Done to Me?

I never thought I’d be the guy who’d say, “Yeah, let’s move to London.” Not because it’s not a great city — it’s a fantastic city. But because moving across the ocean, uprooting your family, trading in your comfort zone for a place where the sun barely shows up… well, that sounded like a solid nope.

But here I am. London resident, citizen of the perpetual drizzle, proud owner of a raincoat that has seen better days.

The first thing you notice about London? It’s a city that smells like history and bad coffee. The streets are narrow and packed with people who walk like they’re in a race no one signed up for. Everyone’s talking about the weather — not just casual small talk, but like it’s the single most important thing happening on the planet.

And the accents! Good God, the accents. Every block, every tube stop, a new flavor. Cockney, posh, Irish, Jamaican, and that guy who sounds like he swallowed a dictionary backward. I tried to mimic them all, failed miserably, and now I just nod a lot and smile like I understand.

(Side note: I kind of love the passage, “smells like history and bad coffee”).

Why John Coltrane’s “Naima” Feels Like a Quiet Conversation at Midnight

There’s something magical about a jazz tune that doesn’t shout but whispers—and John Coltrane’s “Naima” is exactly that kind of song. I stumbled on it late one night, headphones on, world dimmed down to just me and those smooth saxophone lines. From the first note, it felt like a secret shared between friends in the middle of a sleepless city.

“Naima” isn’t about flashy solos or fast runs; it’s about space, emotion, and patience. The melody floats gently, like a soft breeze brushing through a quiet room. Listening to it feels less like hearing music and more like being invited into a moment of reflection.

What I love about this tune is how timeless it is. It was recorded in the early 60s, yet it still feels fresh, like it’s waiting to be discovered again. Maybe that’s the power of jazz—the way it can be both a product of its time and completely outside of it.

(Side note: I do love Trane’s “Naima”).

Images: All are courtesy of the World Wide Web. The top image is based on suggestions ChatGPT made about what kinds of images should accompany a Vance Cariaga blog. Seriously…