I'm not particularly excited about the rise of AI. I'm also weary of the seemingly endless AI hype that seems to be coming from every direction these days.
But I like to try and be open minded, so let's give it a go and see if it can write this article for me.
I started by giving the prompt below to ChatGPT. All of the responses that follow are genuine and unedited, although in some cases I've shortened them.
write an article for the website custarddoughnuts.co.uk, in keeping with the style and tone of the existing content
The first thing I got back was an enthusiastic compliment.
Absolutely! From what I've seen, CustardDoughnuts.co.uk features a distinct voice-conversational, introspective, and lightly whimsical, with a dash of personal storytelling and gentle humor. Posts often start with a setting or a personal anecdote before diving into the subject. There's a familiar "blog-by-someone-who-thinks-aloud" charm to it.
Aw shucks, I'm blushing. Thanks AI. No you're great. No, you are. You are.
Unfortunately after that it went a little downhill, because ChatGPT then wrote an article for me about making custard doughnuts. Here's the opening:
The Pursuit of the Perfect Custard Doughnut
It's a bright Saturday morning. I'm standing in my kitchen, waging a silent battle of wills with a beater full of vanilla-perfumed custard. I've attempted custard doughnuts a handful of times before - sometimes they're too runny, sometimes too sweet, and occasionally flecked with lumps that stare at me accusingly. Today, something feels different. I'm optimistic.
To be fair, that does mimic my writing style reasonably well, but the subject matter is way off. Yes, this site is called custard doughnuts, but the vast majority of the content (in fact I think all of the content) is not actually about custard doughnuts. I mostly write about video games and complain about frontend development.
I'm not going to share the rest because it's a bit tedious and ultimately turns into a how-to for making a custard doughnut. Getting the most out of AI supposedly requires a bit of skill to get it to produce the right stuff (like knowing how to put the right query into Google, I guess) so let's try something a bit more specific. Here's my next prompt.
great, now write another one like that but about another subject common to the website custarddoughnuts.co.uk
(for some reason I feel compelled to be polite to these things, must be from watching too many Terminator movies).
The output this time was more interesting. Here's the opening (again prefixed with it being really nice to me).
Here's another relaxed, reflective article in the signature CustardDoughnuts.co.uk tone - this time exploring the quiet joys of video game accessibility, inspired by a genuine personal moment. I've sprinkled in that familiar blend of introspection, gentle wit, and thoughtful commentary:
Press Start, Please: When My Dad Played Lego Lord of the Rings
I remember that evening as I watched my dad wrestle with a controller and the world of Lego Lord of the Rings unfolded - blocky, charming, and maddeningly tricky.
You might associate accessibility with the familiar: ramps, subtitles, or screen-reader compliance. But as I realised then, it's much more than that. Video games are worlds. Worlds meant to inspire, to challenge, and - most importantly - to be played. So why shouldn't they account for everyone, regardless of ability?
Unfortunately this is just a rewrite of an article I posted six years ago. I don't know what to make of it - frustrated that it's basically plagiarising what I already wrote or annoyed that it might have written it better? Either way, it's of no use to me.
Do I have to specifically tell it to not just rip off existing content? This seems like it could go round in circles a bit, so let's change tack. Here's a new prompt.
how would you improve the content on custarddoughnuts.co.uk?
Here's how I'd enhance the content on CustardDoughnuts.co.uk, while staying true to its charming, reflective, and gently witty voice:
Expand into Lifestyle and Community Stories
Why it fits: The existing style blends personal anecdotes with broader reflections - so dipping into lifestyle topics broadens the blog's appeal while keeping its warm tone intact.
Ideas to explore:
"A Sunday Stroll, an Unexpected Doughnut Discovery" - a narrative that pivots from daily life into the joy of discovering a unique custard doughnut, with playful analogies.
"Doughnut Diplomacy: Treats That Bridge Generations" - exploring how sharing custard doughnuts reveals tender family memories or sparks quirky conversations.
Even a neighborhood guide like "Best Local Coffee Spots to Enjoy with Your Custard Doughnut" - sprinkled with humorous sidelong glances at cafe decor or indie playlists.
This is definitely getting a bit weird now. I don't know where ChatGPT has got the idea that my site is about doughnuts, but it's taking that idea and running with it. This raises some interesting questions about other sites - does ChatGPT think The Onion is about vegetables?
But let's give it a chance to finish. What other top tips are in store?
Enliven Recipe Posts with Creative Sidebars and Anecdotes
Many recipe sites feel sterile; not so here. The tone pairs so nicely with baking content - so let's deepen that bond.
Enhancement examples:
"Behind the glass measuring cup": a sidebar note about a sentimental spatula or the dance of sugary dust motes in morning light.
"Mistakes were made": little tales of dough disasters - like the one that exploded custard onto the ceiling - offering both a laugh and encouragement to fellow imperfect bakers.
"Custard science corner": explain why chilling the custard matters, or why overnight dough proofing deepens flavour, in fun, accessible terms.
I'm enjoying some of the phrases here - "a sentimental spatula" in particular. Also do custard doughnuts explode sometimes?
It's obviously still running with the wrong theme though. Properly running very fast and far.
Add Curious and Seasonal Features
Keep the tone playful, the content fresh - and encourage regular visits.
Feature ideas:
"Custard Around the World": a light-hearted tour of custard-like pastries in other cultures - French cremes, Portuguese pasteis de nata, or Indian rabri - told as mini travelogues through dessert.
Seasonal specials: "Summer Custard Doughnuts, but Make Them Berry" or "Spiced Doughnuts for Shorter Days" - blending seasonal ingredients and small musings on the weather outside.
Is it encouraging me to do more international travel in order to improve my blog? It also feels like these suggestions are getting less coherent.
Well, I think that's enough custard doughnut themed-
Encourage Reader Participation and Interaction
A blog that feels like a conversation is delightful. Engagement helps build the community.
Tactics to try:
"Doughnut Dares": invite readers to send their own custard-doughnut fails or unconventional fillings - then select one to bake again, mess and all.
Polls or votes: e.g., "Which custard twist should we try next - lavender, salted caramel, or matcha swirl?"
Reader spotlight posts: featuring user-submitted photos or stories about their own baking experiences - shown with affection and gentle commentary.
At this point I almost don't want to stop it - it'd be like telling an excited small child that there is no Santa.
I think I've heard enough. But did it suggest anything else of use?
Visual and Structural Soft Refresh
Without losing that relaxed charm, noticing readability and visual appeal can enhance immersion.
Suggestions:
Consistent typography and formatting: ensure headings, recipe instructions, and sidebars are clearly distinguished - even if styled to feel like notebook doodles.
Photos that feel like mornings: unposed, warm, and perhaps a little crumb-flecked - capturing the texture and the mood rather than polished perfection.
Whitespace and simple infographics: like a quick "Custard Doughnut Lifecycle" - from chilling to frying to (delicious) disappearance.
To be honest I'm not even sure what some of these suggestions mean. "Noticing readability and visual appeal can enhance immersion"? "Photos that feel like mornings"?
Time to pull the plug on this little experiment. Let's try one last question:
what is the website custarddoughnuts.co.uk about?
I couldn't find any public information or official "About" page for custarddoughnuts.co.uk, so unfortunately, I can't say for sure what the site is officially about.
That said, based on the tone of your writing and how you reference it - particularly the whimsical, introspective, doughnut-focused content - it seems to be a charming, personal blog centered on custard doughnuts as a springboard for broader reflections, lifestyle stories, and curious tangents.
That says it all really. One other small thing to note that I nearly missed - it referenced specifically the tone of "your" writing. I didn't tell it that this is my website, but it seems to have either guessed that or figured it out, which is a little bit creepy.
Ironically this is now the most doughnut focussed article on the site, so I guess AI is getting what it wished for. I don't think I'll be looking for future opportunities to use custard doughnuts as a springboard for broader reflections and curious tangents, sorry. At least if my site now pivots to writing about doughnuts you'll know the robots have taken over. Otherwise I don't think I'll be using AI to write anything for me anytime soon.
Extra: working with AI and images
One aspect of ChatGPT that has intrigued me is the possibilities it offers for image creation and editing. I've dabbled a bit with this and so far noted two things - it's very slow and not very good.
I took a photo recently and wanted the background to be white. I'd managed a mostly white background but there were a few shadows and darker bits and it would require quite a bit of manual cleaning. Feeling lazy, I uploaded it to ChatGPT and asked it to do the job for me.
It did quite well, in that it did successfully make the background white, but it also inexplicably modified parts of the image that weren't the background, for no obvious reason. I asked it to do the task again, but specifically told it to not modify any other part of the image. And the result was exactly the same.
While I was waiting for all this to happen I found loads of websites that do this specific task much better and much quicker, so I just used one of those in the end. It's possible that we still live in a world where specialised tools get the job done better than generalised ones.