I woke up this morning to an email from Buy Me a Coffee, and the next second had the thought, “Well, I guess I’m deleting my account.” Why? Because they decided to add AI features.

On one hand, it genuinely boggles my mind that a platform for creators decided it would be a smart decision to implement AI—something that has been fucking over creators for years now. On the other, it doesn’t surprise me at all that a business has its head so far up its ass that it thinks a decision like this is a good one.

“iF yOu’Re aNytHinG LiKe uS, AI tools have quietly become part of your creative routine.”

No, actual creators haven’t touched AI with a ten-foot pole.

So, at the time of posting this, I will be dismantling my BMAC page and deleting it, then work on removing its link everywhere else—here on my website, all my books’ back matter (ughhh this one is really irritating), and my Linktree.

And speaking of Linktree, I will be deleting that too and make my own “tree” here on my website. I’ve been wanting to do this since learning that they, too, also decided to implement AI, but hadn’t gotten around to it due to books-related motivation being down in the dumps. Now that I’m getting back into the swing of things, it’s going bye bye too.

Both of these being gone are fine with me, even if we ignore the AI aspect. I’d been thinking for quite some time already that I disliked the cut BMAC took out of each “pizza” or merch bought, plus I was really starting to dislike the idea of having a subscription service. I myself hate that everything seems to be a subscription these days and decided I didn’t want to be a part of that. I was planning on removing the membership option from my BMAC page until I got that email this morning—now the entire thing is going!

All the merch that was available there will be temporarily unavailable, unless you’re local and can buy directly from me. I will be looking into how to set up a shop here on my website and will post an update when I know more.

Regarding Linktree, having my own list of links on my own website will drive traffic here, which—in theory—should help with SEO or some technical stuff, I don’t know. I just know website traffic = good.

I truly am sick and tired of AI invading everything, especially gen AI, and it’s exhausting. If AI could somehow create from within itself, and if it didn’t wreck the environment, I don’t think I’d have any problem with it.

But generative AI physically cannot make its own art. The images it produces come from actual artists. It scrapes the internet for images of real art, mashes it all up, then spits out an amalgamation (slop) while compensating nobody in the process. There is no consent involved in gen AI—it’s theft, plain and simple.

And AI in general? Its data centers use a massive amount of water, affect water quality, cause noise pollution, wreck the local ecosystem, etc.

I could go on, but truthfully, it feels like beating a dead horse at this point. People know, yet a disturbing—yet unfortunately non-shocking—amount of people simply don’t care. Because why would they when it doesn’t directly affect them.

Anyway, that’s all for now.

Adios, Buy Me a Coffee and Linktree. You won’t be missed.