Artificial intelligence has become one of the most divisive topics in creative industries. Every week there’s a new debate: Should artists use AI? Is it replacing jobs? Is it just another tool? Should we take people who use Generative AI and burn them at the stake?
Where do independent creators fit into all of this?
These are questions I’ve been wrestling with while producing Apocalypse…Now?, so I decided to record a special Patreon-exclusive bonus episode where I pull back the curtain and explain exactly how AI fits into my creative process—and, more importantly, where it doesn’t.
I don’t use AI the way people assume
One thing I wanted to make crystal clear is this:
Every episode of Apocalypse…Now? is written by me.
The research, jokes, opinions, stories, and bizarre tangents are mine. If you’ve listened to the show, you know my brain doesn’t exactly operate in a straight line, and that’s something I never want to lose.
What AI does help me with is the work that happens after the creative work is finished.
As an independent creator, every episode requires writing, filming, editing, creating social media clips, writing blog posts, formatting WordPress articles, scheduling posts, and keeping track of dozens of moving parts. AI has become another production tool that helps this solo podcaster organize that workload—not replace the creative thinking behind it.
Sometimes AI is terrible.
One of the things I discuss in the bonus episode is how often AI simply… isn’t very good.
I experimented with letting AI edit videos.
The result?
It was awful.
The pacing was wrong. The cuts felt unnatural. Instead of saving time, it actually created more work because I had to fix everything it produced.
That’s something that gets lost in online conversations. AI isn’t magic. Most of the time it behaves like an enthusiastic intern that still needs every assignment checked before it goes out the door. Sometimes it helps. Most of the time, it’s confidently wrong.
Where I draw the line
I’m fascinated by new technology. I’ve always been an early adopter, and I don’t want to wake up one day and realize I ignored an entire generation of creative tools.
But that doesn’t mean I believe artists should be replaced.
I don’t think writers should disappear.
I don’t think animators should disappear.
I don’t think art departments should disappear.
There is a massive difference between using software to help organize your workflow and replacing human creativity altogether. That distinction matters to me, and it’s something I spend a lot of time thinking about.
The reality of being an independent creator
Making a podcast isn’t just sitting in front of a microphone.
Every episode takes hours of research, writing, filming, editing, exporting, uploading, promoting, and maintaining across multiple platforms.
Could I hire people to do all of that?
Absolutely.
Can I afford to?
Not yet.
That’s why independent creators are often forced to balance idealism with reality. When you’re funding everything yourself, every hour saved matters.
Why Patreon matters
One of my biggest goals is to release two episodes of Apocalypse…Now? every month instead of one.
The biggest obstacle isn’t ideas.
It’s time.
If I can eventually hire an editor, I can spend more time researching, writing, interviewing guests, and creating the weird, funny, thought-provoking episodes that I actually love making.
That’s where Patreon comes in.
Supporting the show—even with a free membership—helps build the community around the podcast. Paid memberships go even further by helping fund future episodes and making it possible to grow the show beyond what one person can realistically do alone.
Listen to the full bonus episode.
If you’ve ever wondered:
- How I actually use AI behind the scenes
- Why I abandoned AI video editing
- Which parts of my workflow AI helps with
- Where I believe creators should draw ethical lines
- What the future of Apocalypse…Now? looks like
…I cover all of it in this Patreon-exclusive bonus episode.
Join Patreon for free and listen now:
Whether you’re a fellow creator, someone curious about AI, or just interested in hearing the behind-the-scenes reality of making an independent podcast, I’d love to have you there.