Quitting ChatGPT
So in the last year, I folded and started using ChatGPT. I know, I know, I'm a hypocrite and a kind of bad person for it. I still hate genAI, but I kept justifying using it for this or that, and since losing access to my Discord my reliance on it for advice and emotional support has gotten... concerning. I don't want to use it, but any time I try to stop, there's always something I can't figure out the answer to without it. Which is going to make this next part sound contradictory, but somehow it's true: it also doesn't give me any of the actual answers. I have never made a decision because ChatGPT told me to, but I have talked myself through a problem using it as a rubber duck. So it's literally useless while convincing me it's necessary.
Mindset shifts
Whatever you think about genAI in general, the fact that you used it means you got something out of it. On one level, it might be to look things up, but why not use a search engine? Because there was something emotional you got. So name it. For me, it's that I had a space where I could work through my thoughts without judgement and get validation that my ideas aren't stupid. It's a 'yes, and' machine. It also gives me attention whenever I want it, without demanding anything in return (besides me using it).
So, how can I find that elsewhere? Well, for starters, it's not actually paying attention to me. It can't, it's not conscious. It's giving me the illusion of attention, and I can do that without all the bad stuff by giving it to myself (either by talking to myself as myself or with immersive daydreams if I want it to feel external).
Have a reason not to use it that actually works for you. For me, the environment or the fact that it's plagiarism was bad, but not bad enough for me to stop using it. I needed an emotional reason. So here's what worked for me: using genAI is not the action of a smart person who thinks for themself, and that's who I want to be.
Replacements
Write down everything you use ChatGPT for and figure out a replacement for each. Put the list somewhere you can see it whenever you're on your devices, so any time you're tempted, you can look through it. Your list might be different, but here's mine.
Setting up creative systems to get me to actually do things - Combination of social media, using my brain, and asking the people around me how they do things.
Logistics and life planning - YouTube videos and writing things down. Pen and paper works better than Notion for a first draft because I can draw and connect thoughts easier.
Meal planning and food substitutions - Research, maths, and my nutritionist.
Double checking that systems I've made will actually work - Letting myself be okay with failure, trusting my decisions more, and being open to change.
Goal setting (for various things) - Brain. I know how to set a goal, I just don't always know the specifics right away.
Creating syllabi for my personal curriculum - Brain. Also seeing if I can find preexisting courses on the topic.
Finding products that meet all of my needs - Brain and relearning how to use search engines effectively.
Making sure a medical event in a story was written accurately - Fuck it we ball. It's fanfiction, it doesn't need to be super accurate. Also research (but make sure to clarify in the search that it's for writing and not because you want to kill someone).
Phrasing help (general) - Look up similar things for inspiration and/or ask someone for help.
Phrasing help (topics I find too embarrassing to ask a real person about) - Write it poorly, then wait a few days and come back to it.
Therapy/emotional support - Use my actual therapist (duh). If it's several days until I see her and it's something I need to work through now, I can call a helpline or write in my journal.
Interior design inspiration - Mostly Pinterest, maybe TikTok or Instagram if I'm desperate.
Asking specific questions about my religious practice - Rabbi, Rebbetzin, or conversion class teacher. That's literally what they're there for. For anything where I'm scared they'll see me as disrespectful, my friends who've also converted are also there.
Brainstorming - Reading more about the topic, asking the people around me, and if I really can't figure it out, coming back to it later.
Fragrance mixing - Nose. If I don't yet own all the fragrances, Fragrantica, a trip to the department store, and my imagination.
Artist recommendations (especially non-English music) - Ask someone who speaks the language. Or Reddit.
Planning my future (can't believe I deferred to a robot over something this important) - Ask my parents, a teacher or professor I like, or friends what they think. Also brain, obviously.
Any of the above - Rubber duck method/Feynman technique/pretending to be on late night TV, imagining the duck/child/audience/interviewer/whatever asking questions in response to what I'm saying, then clarifying until I understand it completely.
The closing shifts
Depending on how often and how much you've used it, you might have stuff you wrote on there you can't find anywhere else. I actually tried to quit in January, but this pulled me back in after a few weeks. To sort this out, take a few hours to go through every chat you've ever had, from the beginning, and write down a summary of what was said (BY YOU, not the robot). This can be copy-pasted prompts, key points that you know you would forget, whatever style you want. That document or notebook now has everything you need, and you can delete the app and close the tab for good.
Staying off
The I am Sober app has a chatbot option now, which is helpful but depressing that so many people are in the same boat. So if you find streaks helpful, do that. I especially like that there's a 'why I'm doing this' box, so you can look at your main reason whenever you want. I would also recommend any browser extension that blocks certain websites. The one I use (Distract Me Not for Firefox) lets you give yourself a message when you try to go to the websites, so for me it's something like 'are you a smart, ethical, and independent person or not?', which usually snaps me out of it.
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Remember, genAI is designed to be addictive. What matters is that you're trying, and by quitting you're building your brain's endurance. If/when you relapse, that's like when you've been running and you get too tired to continue, so instead of beating yourself up, recalibrate and start again. Besides, relapse is not the end of the world, as long as you're trying that's all that matters. You can always keep going. I believe in you.
