Circles In Space AI Policy
This newsletter will always be written by me, a human, so let's clear some things up.
Hi Friends,
I want to be transparent so I wrote a policy clarifying my AI use and what you can expect to see here at Circles In Space.
First things first: Circles In Space will always remain a human-generated newsletter, written by me. But I’ve used AI in the past to craft headlines, generate SEO tags, and create images. Thus, this policy to clear things up.
Back in 2024 I became interested in using AI tools in my personal and professional pursuits. I spent the better part of last year testing and experimenting with ChatGPT at home and Copilot at work. I have a basic understanding of how large language models work plus their strengths and weaknesses.
I now have a clearer vision of what I can expect from these tools and how I will or will not use them for this newsletter. I think it’s more important than ever before to reinforce and clearly express my thoughts on my AI use and to be open about it.
AI is a tool but it can also be a shortcut that replaces real learning and understanding. These ethics are at the heart of why I started Circles In Space.
Keep reading below for the policy.
Circles In Space AI Policy
Circles In Space is a newsletter written by Keith Walpole.
Purpose: To set forth the parameters of AI usage as it pertains to this newsletter.
This policy covers the following AI tools: chatbots, transcription, & image generators.
Note: At the time of publishing, I have not used any other AI apps for the purposes of this newsletter and will update this policy if that changes.
In an effort to maintain transparency and promote the ethics of openness, clarity, learning and development embodied in this newsletter, I hereby state the following:
I Will Not Use AI For:
Writing.
I started this newsletter to engage my curiosity, to learn, and to practice writing. Outsourcing the actual writing, even a word, line or headline, defeats that purpose. While I’ve used AI in the past to craft headlines, going forward I will not use AI in any shape or form to write any part of this newsletter. Also, a chatbot can simply regurgitate someone else’s ideas.
Research.
Researching is my favorite part of writing. I enjoy scouring the internet, books, movies, and music to find the information I need. Using AI for research robs me of this essential learning experience.
Content ideas.
I’ve tried using AI to brainstorm content ideas before but I haven’t used even one idea. That goes against the purpose of Circles In Space which is to highlight the cyclical nature of our lives, so my content should come naturally and not from AI.
Images.
I’ve used AI to create images in the past but only when I was going for an AI ‘look’ back when it was a novelty. Now, image generation far exceeds those images and it’s becoming difficult to tell what’s real and what’s not. That’s why you’ll never see an AI image used here going forward. I create all images in Canva.
I Will Only Use AI For:
Strategy.
I’m a one-man show so I use ChatGPT to brainstorm strategy about how to reach more people. I’m not really a business-minded person and AI can be useful for highlighting areas I can improve on. But my goal is to share ideas and creativity rather than to be the biggest newsletter on Substack.
SEO tags.
I realized last last year I should be using SEO tags effectively to attract new readers. So while I’m learning SEO, I use ChatGPT to help identify tags for my posts. Once I’ve learned how to do this I won’t need AI assistance.
Upskilling.
I absolutely love asking AI questions like, “How do I embed a Substack post on my website?” AI does this really well, giving clear, accurate instructions and it’s helped me immensely.
Transcription.
Two tools which save me tons of time: Apple Notes and Descript. I use Notes to grab text from photos and to transcribe audio recordings. I use Descript when I need more robust audio transcription.
With this policy, I set forth the parameters of AI use for Circles In Space. I acknowledge that such tools can sacrifice learning and growth for ‘efficiency’ which is in direct contrast of the purpose of this newsletter which has and will always be to promote and share curiosity, creativity, learning, and deep engagement with facts, ideas, and the world.
Thereby, as stated above, I will not use AI for writing, research, content ideas or generating images, and limit use to those circumstances indicated above.
Keith Walpole
01.22.2026
That’s the Circles In Space AI Policy.
Clear, transparent, and in line with the ethics and ideas I embody with this newsletter. I’ve made this policy as comprehensive as I can. I don’t see it changing for the time being but I will continue experimenting and update accordingly.
There’s other considerations to take into account when using AI too, like it’s impact on the environment. But often the discourse around AI is very doom-and-gloom and while that may be true in the not-so-distant future, I don’t think it’s productive at the moment. I view AI like any other tool; what matters is the intention behind it.
My hope is you’ll continue reading this newsletter because you value curiosity, creativity, learning, and engaging with facts and ideas. You love books, music, movies, and history. I love these things too, I love learning about them, and sharing them!
As always, please let me know if you have any questions, thoughts or concerns.
Until next time,
Keith
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