Two of the questions asked of me yesterday regarding the infographic diagrams I posted were whether they were easy to make and what I was going to use them for. Given the number of comments received, they seem worth addressing.

To deal with them in turn, the answer as to whether they are easy to make is, as is true of so much in life, yes and no. Let me explain.

I am quite open about the fact that the actual diagrams that I am producing are created using AI, and in this case ChatGPT in particular, using a relatively low-grade version of that particular program. Saying that, however, only deals with the final stage in the process.

I choose the topic and start by producing a simplified extract of my previous work on the issue, using a template that will eventually generate the boxes for the final chart. I can use AI to help with this process if I want, pointing it at specific sources in my work, or I can start from scratch. It is becoming clear that both processes have a role, but I always need to do the final edit.

Doing that, I play with, develop, edit, alter and generally draft and redraft until I get a final text. One I am doing on inflation shows that this can take some time. All of this, then, is my work, although the template I use to organise the flow was created alongside the one used to design the final chart.

That text is then checked for errors, inconsistencies, and so on, using AI techniques that I now suggest anyone use when writing. For example, I have used Grammarly for several years now when writing the blog. It has been the biggest single contributor to the reduction in the number of typos in it, without ever quite beating my ability to produce them.

Having got through this stage, the actual production of the infographic is remarkably quick. It takes a little over a minute, but since I trust nothing AI produces, I have to check it.

Overall, these take longer than an average blog post does at present, but that may change.

An issue that is bound to arise from saying this is whether using AI in this way is justified. My answer is quite straightforward. I use it as a tool. The thinking is mine. The editing is mine. The final words are all mine. AI formats them. In that sense, AI is very little different from the software I use to help produce a photograph. In fact, producing a photograph is considerably more automated and AI-driven than anything in these infographics is. I could not produce a photograph without technology. I cannot use these graphics without technology. I cannot see the difference.

The second question is, what do I intend to do with them, and why bother with the exercise? First, why create them? That is because:

• They challenge me to think differently, and I find that valuable
• They might reach new audiences, and that is important
• They reiterate what I am trying to say on this blog, and reiteration is a valuable educational technique.
• Not everyone wants to read a long blog post or watch a video.
• Some people really do learn this way.
• I am enjoying the learning process (and that matters).

So, where might I use them?

• Here
• Substack
• Twitter
• Bluesky
• Mastodon
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• And, with developments we plan for this week, on:
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • YouTube shorts

A lot of outlets, then.

And who knows, why not on:

• Posters
• Tea towels
• T-shorts

We have never really done merch, but maybe, for the best, this might be an option.

And to reiterate myself, why? To

• Introduce a subject
• Introduce the blog
• Suggest alternatives are possible
• Provide reiteration
• Attract traffic to here and the YouTube channel.

Will that succeed? Who knows?

Is it worth a try? I think so.

My feeling is that this approach could provide a valuable new way of reaching audiences with information that is both educational and important. That is enough justification for me.

How many of these posts might there be? Having played with the idea, it's pretty easy to come up with a list that already has well over 100 subjects on it, whilst hardly scratching the surface of the themes I've written about over the years, from which I have ample material.

But, and I stress the point, the particularly important point of this is that it extends reach. I am already trying to do that on Substack. And the main aim of these infographics, I think, is not just for platforms like Twitter but also, after adaptation, for use on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.

Getting the message out that we do not need to accept the garbage we are told is economics right now is fundamentally important, in my opinion, and that is why most of the revenue I am generating from YouTube and the donations people make are being reinvested to extend our reach.

I hope that makes sense.

Meanwhile, the experimentation will go on. It's one way to spend a weekend, and even whilst writing this, I added a new bird to my garden list after seeing a little egret fly over the house, which is a new experience for me. Thinking, writing, taking in the morning sun, having a coffee (or two) and birdwatching, all at once. That is what I enjoy and why I do this.

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