LmCast :: Stay tuned in

Don't just paste the AI at me

Recorded: May 23, 2026, 12:57 a.m.

Original Summarized

Don't paste the AI.

In case you want to get roasted in your own language:

EN — English
PT — Português (BR)

Don't quotethe AI at me.
If your reply starts with "Here's what Claude said:" or straight eight hundred words of unedited ChatGPT text, congratulations: you just proved your
brain is a gizmo, Darwin would be proud. Please, don't reproduce.

Here's what you just did
Someone asked you a real question. They had context and all good intentions. They came to you
specifically. You took their question, dumped it into a prompt box, and pasted the result back at them.
Bet it felt super productive and smart, right? Well... Hate to disappoint, you're not any smarter, you just
proved that there's no difference between asking you or asking the AI.

Guess who the AI will replace first?

In case it's not really clear, here's what you answered:
Great question! There are several key factors to consider when approaching this nuanced topic someone took the
time and brainpower to think about. Let's break it
down step by step, again:
1. Understanding the context — It's important to first establish a solid foundation, because
it's really what you asked
2. Key considerations — When evaluating this, you should keep in mind that, I'm sure this never
crossed your mind
3. Best practices — Industry experts generally recommend this mild Google search you could've
done in 3 seconds

In conclusion, the answer ultimately depends on your specific situation. I hope this helps, champ! Let me know
if you'd like me to elaborate on any of these points.
Wow... Enlightening. Thanks for this piece of wisdom I could've gotten myself.

Why this is rude, actually
The person you're replying to has the same AI you do. If they wanted the generic LLM answer,
they'd have gotten it in four seconds without involving you, which is, in fact, easier. They asked you
because they wanted you. Your opinion. Your experience. Your taste. The thing the model doesn't have.

What you sent instead says: "I couldn't be bothered to read your question carefully enough
to actually reply, so here's what a chatbot guessed for me.". It is the conversational equivalent of
forwarding the email.

You are not smarter than anyone. You are making them lose respect for you in real time, in a way that's hard to
come back from. You replaced your opinion with a fortune cookie phrase and shoved it at them.
If you continue doing this, why bother asking you in the first place?

Pasting the modelis not thinking.

The fix is quite simple

You can use AI. It's a tool. it's there to be used, but for fucks sake, read what the model
said. The whole thing. Yes, even the bullets. Especially the bullets.

Decide what's actually true. Models are confident in ways that have nothing to do with being right. Half of
it is probably wrong, generic, or both. When it, in fact, exists.
Write your own answer. Three sentences of you beats three paragraphs of slop, every time. Nobody
has ever said "I wish that reply had been longer and more robotic."
If you genuinely have to quote the model, mark it. Say why. "I asked Claude and this part actually
checks out:" is fine. There are useful things that come out of LLMs.
If you have nothing to add beyond what an AI would say, say nothing. Silence is a
contribution. Or say "I don't have anything to add". This will save you, and us, a lot of time.

"But, I want to help too!"
No, you don't. You are trying to look helpful without doing the work of helping. There is a
difference there, not very subtle, honestly.
Helping is reading carefully, thinking, and responding with
something only you could have
said. Pasting things
from an AI tells the person on the other end that their question wasn't worth your time, only a chatbot's. How
would you feel?

This is not anti-AI. Relax.
Use the tools. Use them daily. Use them to draft faster, think rougher, learn more, unstick yourself. Great.
That's the point. The output is a starting point, not a deliverable. Treat it like a junior
intern's first draft, because that is what it is. Edit it. Cut it. Disagree with it. Make it yours, or don't
send it.

How to use this
Next time someone drops an amazing set of unedited LLM text in your DMs, your Slack, your code review, anywhere
really, send them this:
dontpastetheai.com
Click to copy. No explanation needed — they'll know.

— yours, in mild fury,everyone else
spiritual successor to nohello.net &
dontasktoask.com.this page was written
by a human, on purpose, with feelings.

If someone sent you this link: don't be mad at them. They mean well. Read it, take a breath, and write your next
reply yourself.
Satire. Free to share, remix, and translate — PRs welcome on GitHub.

The provided text critiques the practice of directly pasting unedited responses generated by artificial intelligence in conversational settings, arguing that this behavior diminishes the value of human interaction and personal expertise. The author asserts that when an individual receives a complex question, their response should reflect personal opinion, experience, and taste, qualities that an artificial intelligence fundamentally lacks. The text suggests that reproducing direct AI output, without critical engagement, is essentially forwarding the request to the user, implying that the human's time and input are devalued.

The central argument is that merely providing a chatbot's answer, even if superficially correct, substitutes genuine contribution with robotic recitation. The author contends that the act of pasting the model’s output is not thinking; it is a passive act that communicates that the original query was not worth the user's time, only the machine's time. This action is framed as a form of rudeness because it replaces the user's unique perspective with a generic, unexamined statement, causing the inquirer to lose respect for the respondent.

The text advocates for a shift in how technology is utilized, positioning AI as a tool rather than an oracle or a substitute for human cognition. The proposed resolution involves treating AI-generated output as a starting point or a rough draft, similar to an intern's initial work. The crucial step is to mandate human intervention—careful reading, critical thinking, and the infusion of unique insights to refine the material. The author emphasizes that true helpfulness lies in the process of careful analysis and thoughtful response, rather than the mere delivery of generated text.

The author suggests that if an individual must incorporate AI output, they should do so with explicit attribution or context, noting that using it to check facts is acceptable, but simply reproducing it without critical assessment is the issue. When an individual has nothing meaningful to add beyond the AI's response, silence or a simple statement acknowledging the lack of added content is presented as a valuable contribution. Ultimately, the piece encourages users to recognize that leveraging AI effectively requires maintaining human agency and authorship over the final communication, ensuring that the output remains an expression of personal thought rather than a mere reflection of an algorithm.