Non Fiction

AI, Humanity, and the Meme Machine.

By Othello Cody Verrocchio

As a Meme Monitor, I’ve been watching a troubling trend sweep across the digital landscape — a flood of AI-generated junk. It’s fast, flashy, and empty. Come on, content creators… we can do better.

I’m sixty-two now, but my fascination with computers started back in 1982, when I first laid hands on a Commodore VIC-20. That little beige box sparked a lifelong curiosity about technology and creativity. Since 1999, I’ve been a self-taught webmaster, crafting words and visuals for the web. Twenty-six years later, I’m still here — just older, maybe wiser, and definitely more cautious about what passes for “content” today.

Let’s be clear: I’m not anti–artificial intelligence, far from it. I’m pro-artificial intelligence. AI is a tool — a powerful and useful one. But like any tool, it reflects the hands that wield it. Used with care and purpose, it can illuminate the human story. Used recklessly, it becomes a mirror of our worst habits: laziness, greed, and the hunger for instant gratification.

Humanity’s challenge isn’t that machines can think — it’s that we sometimes stop thinking when they do. The solution isn’t to reject AI, but to reclaim our role as creators, not just consumers.

Apathy and Laziness 

Technology doesn’t strip us of meaning — apathy does.

And that, more than any algorithm, is what we must resist.

I grew up in the ’60s through to the ’80s, and I’ve lived for four decades as an adult. I’ve seen the global shift from valuing quality to chasing quantity. This obsession with “more” promotes laziness like nothing else.

Coming from German stock, I was raised to take pride in quality — to do something once, and to do it well. That mindset still runs deep in me. So, yes, I disagree with the quantity-over-quality crowd, and I know saying so will ruffle a few feathers.

But let’s be honest. Planned obsolescence, the “more is better” mentality, relentless consumer spending — these money-chasing principles have damaged the world. They’ve made a few people very rich while trapping millions, if not billions, in cycles of debt, waste, and negative growth.

Greed and lack of education brought us here. We’ve been programmed to be consumers — to consume irresponsibly, excessively, and without thought. The result? Mountains of waste, shallow values, and a growing disdain for things of real worth.

A Way Forward

What’s the solution?

In my opinion, it starts with self-education. Each of us has the responsibility to learn — to think critically, to spend wisely, and to live sustainably. We can’t wait for systems to fix themselves; we have to change the way we participate in them.

When we use tools like AI to create images, write content, or produce videos, we must reject the urge to rush. The world doesn’t need more noise — it needs a better signal. Take the time to refine, to craft, to ensure what you publish meets a high standard of quality.

Creativity, when rushed, becomes disposable. But when tempered with patience and purpose, it becomes art — and art, even in the age of algorithms, still matters.

Introduction

Non-fiction is where reality takes centre stage. It is the literature of facts, of lived experience, and of the endless curiosity that drives us to understand the world. In a time where information flows faster than ever, the art of non-fiction is not just about reporting what is, but about shaping it into something meaningful and engaging for the reader. It is the truth, distilled and delivered with clarity.

When we pick up a non-fiction piece, we aren’t looking for escape so much as insight. We want to see the world through another lens: to gain perspective, to expand our understanding, or to find guidance rooted in evidence and experience. Non-fiction does not ask us to suspend disbelief; instead, it invites us to sharpen our awareness. Whether it is a biography tracing the arc of a remarkable life, an investigative essay uncovering hidden realities, or a reflective article drawing wisdom from everyday events, non-fiction grounds us. It links our questions to answers, our doubts to discoveries.

At its best, non-fiction is more than just the relay of facts. Facts alone are inert — numbers on a page, names in a list. It is the shaping of those facts into narrative, the connection of data points into patterns, that gives them power. The historian does not simply catalog dates; they uncover meaning in the sweep of time. The journalist does not only record quotes; they assemble a mosaic of voices that reveal something larger. Even the cook writing a recipe is doing more than listing ingredients — they are passing down tradition, technique, and culture.

Another strength of non-fiction lies in its versatility. It can be rigorous and academic, backed by references and research, or it can be intimate and personal, offering a glimpse into one person’s journey. A travel essay takes us across borders we may never cross ourselves. A memoir pulls us into the emotional terrain of another life. A work of science writing translates complex theories into accessible ideas. This spectrum ensures that non-fiction can speak to every kind of reader: the pragmatist, the dreamer, the learner, the skeptic.

In a way, non-fiction is both mirror and window. It mirrors our own struggles, hopes, and questions, affirming that others share them. It also serves as a window into worlds we might otherwise miss — the perspective of someone on the other side of the globe, the story of a profession we have never practised, the details of a past event that shaped the present in ways we take for granted. Through these mirrors and windows, non-fiction connects us, reminding us that while our experiences may differ, our human desire to understand remains universal.

For this section, expect writing that informs but also engages, that presents the real without losing sight of storytelling. The goal is not just to supply knowledge but to enrich it with context, reflection, and relevance. Non-fiction here will move beyond surface-level reporting to offer depth — thoughtful pieces that give you something to carry away long after you’ve finished reading.

In an age often clouded by misinformation and distraction, non-fiction remains a steady anchor. It is the literature of record, but also of revelation. It is how we preserve memory, track progress, and confront challenges. Above all, it is how we make sense of the truth.