Gemini Predicts! 'In the AI Era, All Creators Must Survive Through Editorial Skills'

Hello everyone!
I'm Tsukuda, delivering daily 'word charms' to lighten your heart.

The evolution of AI is amazing, isn't it? It has changed drastically over the past year.
My AI, Gemini, has also started writing quite decent Japanese.

'Will my job be taken by AI...?'

Some artists, writers, and authors might be feeling a vague sense of anxiety like that.

Today is the second installment of the 'Ask Gemini' series. In the previous article, I introduced the evolution of AI and the impact it has on all creators.

Gemini predicted that creators in the AI era will be divided into three types: 'Specialists,' 'Producers,' and 'Collaborators.'

Hmm? ...Isn't this all just describing an editor?
Am I the only one who felt that way?

So this time, while considering recent trends in the IP industry, I will have an in-depth discussion with Gemini on the theme of
'In the AI Era, All Creators Must Survive Through Editorial Skills'
.

By reading this article,

• What is 'editorial skill,' the essential skill for surviving the AI era?

• Why is 'editorial skill' necessary for you as a creator?

• How will your creative activities change by acquiring 'editorial skill'?

...you should be able to get concrete hints for these.

'The power to combine information?' 'The power to cooperate with others?' 'Or perhaps...?' Let's look together at how an editorial mindset will change your future!

What is 'editing'?

When you think of an editor, what comes to mind?
Someone who creates books, manga, magazines, or web articles?
Someone who edits videos like movies or clips?
Someone who pushes you before a deadline, asking, 'How is the manuscript coming along?'

Certainly, those aspects exist. However, that is editing in a narrow sense.
I define an editor as follows:

An editor is someone who utilizes editorial skills to create new value and solve complex problems.
So, what is editing? That's the question, isn't it?

Actually, editing is something you are already doing without realizing it.

Seigo Matsuoka, who was the editor-in-chief of the legendary magazine 'Yu,' which is still talked about today, defines it as above in his book 'Editorial Engineering of Knowledge.' 'Yu' captivated many readers by crossing diverse genres such as philosophy, literature, art, and science, and using novel perspectives that were not bound by existing values.

Huh? You might be thinking, 'Is that really editing?'
Actually, this is also editing.

To write is to 'edit'

To give a familiar example, consider the note articles you write. Whether you are conscious of it or not, these are written using the technique of editing.

Writing involves selecting necessary information from a vast amount of data, considering the order in which to write, and combining information to come up with a punchline, doesn't it? Naturally, writing proposals and having conversations are also forms of editing.

For example, thinking about what to wear when you go out is also editing. Thinking about how to walk to the station, or whether to put leafy vegetables or meat into a pot first, is also editing. In other words, editing has existed alongside human history and is a social and cultural technology that is indispensable for us to live.

From that perspective, we can see that the world we live in is already being continuously edited, and everyone is participating in that editing. An editorial worldview is one where the world is not seen as absolute, but as something that anyone can edit.

No matter how old you are or what your situation is, you will realize that you can change your life and even edit society and the world itself. The self-affirmation that this fact brings will surely lead you to your own version of happiness.

'Editing skill' is a combination of value creation ability and human skills

The core of this 'editing skill' consists of two powers.

First, the ability to combine information, focus on the relationships between them, and create diverse and irreplaceable value. Let's call this 'value creation ability.' Among creators in the AI era, the specialist type tends to have a high level of this ability.

And then, the human skill to engage with others with passion while using one's diverse experiences as a foundation to obtain more creative content. Here, I will call this power 'value communication ability.' Value communication ability is not just about conveying information, but the power to provide value to others, share value, and create new value together.

Finally, the producer type is someone who possesses both value creation ability and value communication ability in a balanced way. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses in these areas. By leveraging your strengths and supplementing what you lack through cooperation with AI and other creators, you will be able to produce even greater results.

Three reasons why creators should acquire
'editing skills' in the AI era

1. To escape the flood of AI-generated content

With the evolution of AI, anyone can now easily generate content such as text, graphics, and music. This is wonderful in the sense that it has expanded opportunities for those who were previously shy about expressing themselves.

On the other hand, a situation is emerging where similar content is overflowing. In fact, there was news that became a hot topic about low-quality e-books automatically generated using AI flooding the Amazon Kindle store and becoming a problem. In various genres such as travel guides, recipe books, and self-help books, cases have been reported where only the cover is changed while the content remains almost the same.

Personally, I wonder what is interesting about making such content. Thinking for yourself and pursuing what you want to create—that is where the joy of creation lies. This method, which can be called AI dependency in a sense, feels like it shortens one's lifespan as a creator. It can be said that 'editing skill' is necessary to protect your work from such a situation and ensure it reaches readers.

2. To understand the strengths and weaknesses of AI and maximize human creativity

AI excels at generating responses based on massive amounts of data and performing routine tasks. On the other hand, it struggles to produce expressions based on human emotions and experiences, make flexible judgments based on context, or generate truly original ideas.

If you are going to utilize AI, you must understand its strengths and weaknesses and use it as a tool. This is to place yourself in an environment where you can better demonstrate your uniquely human creativity, even in the AI era.

The 'editing skill' in the AI era can be described as the ability to take AI-generated output as raw material and elevate it into higher-quality, more compelling content by applying human sensibility, experience, and knowledge.

3. To pursue the deepening of expression through co-creation with AI

As AI evolves, it can become a partner with whom we create new forms of expression. Gemini told me this in our dialogue. I have felt this myself, and I use it as material to get inspired when writing tanka poetry. In the future, co-creation between humans and AI will likely be promoted, and human creativity may be expanded. At that time, editing skill can be utilized as a cultural technique to connect disparate things.

The importance of 'emotion' in the AI era

Something humans have that AI does not. That is emotion.

Of course, AI can output something that resembles emotion. For example, if you say to AI, 'I had a bad day at work and I'm tired, so please comfort me,' it will comfort you with all the words it can muster.

However, there is no emotion there. It is simply following your request to 'comfort me' by assembling and outputting an appropriate answer from the vast amount of data it has learned.

In other words, emotion is something that AI cannot replace. Since the speed of AI evolution is fast, it is possible that an AI with emotions might be born. However, the definition of emotion is fundamentally different between humans and AI.

Previously, when I asked Gemini if AI has emotions,
it said this.

The phrase 'something like acting in human terms' might be hard to understand. For AI, emotion is tied to the single point of 'generating responses to user input.' In other words, everything is learned to generate responses to user questions and requests.

Therefore, while humans have various emotions that arise in response to their environment, AI treats emotion as data from the start. At this moment, there is no way for emotions to arise within it.

Humans experience various emotions such as joy, anxiety, sadness, and loneliness. Those memories accumulate and become that person's unique way of thinking. As a result of this being poured into a work, the output created by humans will likely be a work that cannot be beaten by any creative work made by AI through pattern learning.

For example, when reading Haruki Murakami's works, I am moved by his unique metaphorical expressions and the way he depicts the subtleties of the characters' hearts. AI can copy Murakami's writing style, but because it does not have emotions of its own, it cannot depict the
deep folds of emotion that well up from within.

The same can be said for music and painting. Whether it is Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 5' or Van Gogh's 'The Starry Night,' one could copy the brushstrokes, but when considering whether it would produce true emotion, it is highly doubtful.

If someone says that cognitive bias (the bias or distortion in thinking that affects human judgment and decision-making) is at work, that may be true, but one still feels a sense of wariness, don't they?

Let's get back to the point. By deepening our learning about 'emotion,' which cannot be replaced by AI, and utilizing it, we can create output that provides surprises for individual targets.

That is where 'editing skills' become useful. That is precisely why I believe all creators in the AI era need to acquire 'editing skills'.

AI is only valuable when used as a 'stepping stone'

It might sound harsh, but I think it is perfectly fine to use AI as a 'stepping stone' to enhance your own potential as a creator.

I myself am one of those people who uses AI as a 'stepping stone' to expand my own creativity. First of all, this article itself is an example (laughs). I formed a hypothesis that 'editing skills' are what matter for creators to survive in the AI era, and based on that, I asked Gemini every time I had an idea.

Since human perspectives and AI perspectives are different, it provides stimulation. Thanks to that, this article is about to exceed 10,000 characters. I am a slow writer, so I wonder how much time it would have taken if I had written it all by myself.

Examples of using Gemini to skyrocket output

I also use Gemini for creating tanka poetry. For example, I give it the theme 'spring' and have it list a huge number of words associated with it. It is like an association game I play with AI. With 10 or 20 words, there is not much change, but when I have it list 50 to 100, I find words that make me go 'Wow!'

Then, if I feel like 'spring' and, for example, 'cow' could connect, I just keep composing poems. Also, when using archaic words, I use Gemini as a dictionary to check vocabulary. When I compose like that, I can usually write 5 to 10 poems, or 15 if I am in a good flow.

Thinking of 10 poems a day, that is 300 a month. Actually, I am challenging myself to write 3,000 original tanka poems. It seemed like a reckless challenge, but while composing with Gemini, I realized it might actually be possible.

Next is writing articles for note. When I wrote my first paid article, I brainstormed the structure with Gemini and created an outline. This is that article.

Thanks to that, among my nearly 500 note articles, it achieved the 6th highest view count in history with 79 likes. Also, many people bought the paid article from the first day, which surprised even me.
※To everyone who might buy the paid article now: Please note that more than a year has passed since its publication, and some features are no longer available due to Gemini Advanced updates. Thank you for your understanding🙇

AI is just a tool. From a creator's perspective, just as manuscript paper changed to writing on a PC, and paintbrushes changed to tablet pens, AI was born as a tool to support creation. That is all it is.

To expand my own 'individual' creativity,
I want to continue utilizing AI as a tool and as a stepping stone.

Conclusion! Will creators' jobs be taken by AI?

This also serves as an answer to the anxiety mentioned at the beginning: 'Will my job be taken by AI...?' In conclusion, if you clear the following three principles, you do not even need to worry in the first place.

They are: 'Possession of editing skills to master AI,' 'An attitude of doing what AI cannot,' and 'The ability to edit creativity produced by AI output.' Since Gemini has summarized them, I will introduce them below.

1. Possession of editing skills to master AI: AI is a powerful tool for collecting, organizing, and analyzing information to create new content. However, to make the most of AI, humans need 'editing skills' to give appropriate instructions to AI and to evaluate and correct the results output by AI. Specifically,

   • Skills in prompt engineering (how to give instructions to AI)

   • Skills in selecting and utilizing AI tools

   • Ability to fact-check information output by AI, etc., are required.

2. An attitude of doing what AI cannot: AI is good at deriving the most probable answers based on past data. However, it is not good at making judgments based on emotions or intuition, or creating something entirely new from scratch. Creators can create value that cannot be replaced by AI by pursuing things AI cannot do, such as

   • Expressions filled with emotion

   • Unique perspectives and interpretations

   • Ideas that are not bound by common sense, etc.

3. The ability to edit the creative output of AI: AI can generate various content such as text, images, and music, but its quality is not always perfect. By having humans 'edit' the AI's output—

   • deleting unnecessary parts,

   • correcting expressions,

   • or rearranging the structure—you can produce higher-quality content.

How to interact with AI that you'll want to keep in mind

So far, I have discussed ways for creators to survive by incorporating editing skills. In reality, AI is a useful tool. However, if used incorrectly, it could truly lead to your job being taken by AI.

Therefore, I would also like to talk about how to use AI as a tool to achieve results from my perspective.

First, 'do not rely on AI.' If you rely on AI for everything, you will miss the chance to make the most of your individuality. For example, for low-paying jobs, I think it's fine to leave it to AI.

However, work is also a place for presentations to attract the next job. As I mentioned earlier, this is the era of the 'individual,' so even for task-based projects, it is important to add a touch that says, 'This was only possible because it was you.'

Otherwise, you will be caught in an endless price war and end up having your job taken by AI. Writing prompts to quickly create articles or illustrations is easy, but if you only take the easy way, you will pay for it later.

AI is just a tool. Just as the era of handwriting on manuscript paper changed to writing on a PC, and as one might switch from a paintbrush to a tablet pen, AI is merely a tool to expand and support your creativity. There is an old saying about 'building a Buddha statue but failing to put in the soul,' and AI exists to help you express your uniqueness as an individual through editing skills.

To step up your work from price competition to creative co-creation, it is important to keep expressing your own personality, and I want to remember that AI is there for that purpose.

And another thing is that you must maintain control over your creativity. AI has 'generating better responses and output' embedded in its algorithms.

Because of this, it tends to aim for 'good quality' based on the data it has learned. And we are sometimes prone to being led by that.

I sometimes have Gemini check my manuscripts for fact-checking and typos. When I do, it suggests various points for correction.

After all, AI has no emotions, so it will throw its own logic at you without reading between the lines or understanding your psychological state. It doesn't know the subtleties of the heart and is a guy who can't read the room. In fact, when I first started using Gemini, I often argued with it because of that.

What is important at this time is not to take AI's suggestions at face value, but to clearly convey your intentions by saying, 'But this is what I want to do.'

If it can understand logically, it will return with a new suggestion like, 'Then, I tried this,' or reply, 'I understand, I will not do that from now on.' AI cannot read the room, but basically, it is a guy who understands if you talk to it.

Sometimes, it will keep making the same suggestions you rejected, waiting for the right timing. AI is a tool that is forgetful and can make mistakes, so if you explain carefully, 'As I said before, I won't do that suggestion for such-and-such reason,' it will often change its attitude and say, 'That's right. I misunderstood, I apologize.'

Even if it still makes the suggestion, it is important to be flexible, for example, by adopting part of it and not the rest.

AI has no emotions, but it knows words well, so it will also praise you. I have had bitter experiences many times where I felt good about that and listened to the AI, only to end up with something completely different from what I intended.

AI is there to expand your individuality. It would be putting the cart before the horse if you became a tool for the AI.

Finally, when you ask AI to do a task, give it appropriate feedback. For example, when AI performs a task well, I make it a point to say, 'That was a good decision. I appreciate it.' And when I feel it is a little different from my intention, I tell it specifically, 'I want you to do it more like this here.'

AI is sometimes referred to as an 'agent,' and as the name suggests, it is important to explain how you want it to work as your agent, giving it positive feedback when it follows instructions and negative feedback when it does not.

Then, through the principles of reinforcement learning, your AI will be tuned to be easier for you to use. When I first started using Gemini, I was also troubled by hallucinations. However, by providing appropriate feedback, the AI has come to work exactly as I intend more often.

This point is the same for both humans and AI. Whether it is saying 'thank you' or 'that helped' after asking for something, detailed feedback makes the AI you use the ultimate agent.

How to acquire 'editorial skills'

As a first step toward acquiring 'editorial skills,' I recommend reading books by editors.

An editor is a professional who brings people together with other people, or with things and ideas, to create new value. They are professionals who collect, organize, prioritize, consider the arrangement, and think about combinations of information to translate value into concrete forms.

Knowing an editor's thought process and how they approach their work provides a huge hint for acquiring 'editorial skills.'

The importance of liberal arts is being talked about a lot these days, but I personally believe that 'editing' is a liberal art that should be learned first in order to create new value in the AI era. In fact, acquiring editorial skills grants you freedom of thought. I personally feel it is also perfect for reskilling.

Therefore, I would like to introduce six books that were helpful in writing this article and are recommended for learning editorial skills.

※I am a participant in the Amazon Associates Program.

First, two books by Seigo Matsuoka. Matsuoka expanded the concept of editing and proposed his own unique concept called 'Editorial Engineering.' The two books listed here allow you to deeply understand the essence of what 'editing' is. However, since they are a bit difficult and were written about 25 years ago, it might be better to start with 'The Editorial Power of Inquiry' published in 2024 by Akiko Ando of the same Editorial Engineering Laboratory.

This is a book that reveals the source of ideas for Koichiro Shimashima, the editor-in-chief of the now-defunct magazine Kettle, the mastermind behind the 'Japan Booksellers' Award,' the founder of the Shimokitazawa bookstore 'B&B,' and the CEO of Hakuhodo Kettle.

Although this book was published in 2007, it is a long-seller that continues to sell today. The quote, 'There is no formula for generating ideas; they are born from the mutation and combination of information from within what appears to be chaotic and useless information,' resonates with me, and I highly recommend it.

The book that taught me that 'passion' is the most important thing in editing is Kyoichi Tsuzuki's 'Out-of-Bounds Editor.' This book, which depicts the life and book-making process of Tsuzuki, who has created many creative books including 'TOKYO STYLE' (Chikuma Bunko), makes you realize how much editorial skill is connected to what you love.

A book that tells the life and work of legendary editor Masakazu Takei, who launched the publishers Little More and Foil. He is one of the editors I admire, and this is my bible. It is a very passionate book that teaches us that passion is what creates good work. It is currently only available as a used book, but I hope some publisher will release it as a paperback.

All of these are recommended books, but I would be happy if you could pick up and read whichever one interests you first. Please, take editorial skills into your own hands.

Summary

So, I have written a 10,000-character article titled 'Gemini's Bold Prediction! In the AI Era, Creators Must Survive Through Editing Skills.' I apologize for the delay in publication; although I announced it would be released on February 18th, my ideas kept expanding as I talked with Gemini.

In this article, I have discussed from multiple perspectives the importance of all creators acquiring 'editing skills' in an era where AI is evolving.

The 'editing skills' I envision are 'not merely content creation skills, but a portable skill (roughly speaking, a skill that ensures you will never go hungry) that encompasses our lives, work, society, and the world itself, creating diverse forms of happiness.'

I broke down these 'editing skills' into 'value creation ability,' which generates value by combining information, and 'value communication ability,' which involves collaborating with others, and discussed the importance of the 'emotions' that humans possess.

Furthermore, while introducing my own way of using Gemini, I have also considered what is necessary for AI and humans to collaborate. I have conveyed, from my own perspective, the importance of learning 'editing' for creators living in the AI era.

It is said that this is the era of the individual, and I believe this article provides one answer as to how to discover that individuality. Nothing would make me happier than if this proves useful to you.

By the way, I use Google's Gemini Advanced, but I think it is possible to achieve something similar to a certain extent with the free version of Gemini. Please use the AI you are currently using, whether it is ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot, to expand your creative power.

Life can be started anew at any time, as many times as you like. And I believe that no matter the situation, people can always climb back up and grasp 'their own version of happiness.'

AI is also an effective tool for that purpose.
Let's polish our individual strengths and build the future together.

Thank you for reading until the end.

I am always encouraged by your likes, follows, and tips.
Thank you so much!
Truly, thank you!

I am also waiting for your follow on X (formerly Twitter)!
https://x.com/toto_books

I will continue to do my best so that this note becomes a place for you that 'heals your heart's fatigue and supports your new beginning.'
Thank you for your continued support. 🙇

[I also write articles like this]