Seven Degrees Left of Center

Coffee and AI (And When to Say So)

Most mornings start the same way. Coffee first. Then writing. Somewhere between the second sip and the blinking cursor, I may also open an AI tool. None of these write the story for me, but all of them help me show up.

Coffee wakes me up. AI helps me think things through. Neither one is required, but both are useful. The important part is knowing who is actually doing the work. That part is still me.

I have been thinking about when, and if, AI use needs to be flagged. If I use AI the way I use coffee, to brainstorm, organize thoughts, or talk through a problem, then the final words are still mine. I choose what stays. I revise. I take responsibility.

Authorship follows creative control, not keystrokes.

There are times when disclosure makes sense. If a platform asks for it, I say so. If a large section comes straight from a tool with little change, I say so. That is not fear or guilt. That is transparency.

What I do not do is tag every sentence like it needs a warning label. That would be like footnoting every cup of coffee and explaining which one kept me awake long enough to finish a paragraph. Tools influence the process, not the ownership.

In the end, the responsibility stays with me. If something is weak, confusing, or wrong, that is mine to fix. Coffee does not get the blame. AI does not get the credit.

The story still belongs to the person who sits down, shows up, and makes the choices.