Made by Me was created in an attempt to reduce the AI-hype and get real about what creating actually means. It's an honor system where members choose to use the badge on their website, portfolio, product and sales pages to inform users and be transparent about how they created their content (without the use of Chatbots).

The main goal of MBM is to address the ever-increasing question we ask ourselves when we come across content / products / services we're interested in: "did a human make this?"

By using a Made by Me Badge you're telling the world that YOU are the one behind the content. Your brain was used to create your intellectual property.

When we say "AI" - we mean using tools that take away from human learning, critical thinking skills, skill development, and often steal from the vast sources that these companies are crawling. Using LLMs such as ChatBots to "write" content, generate ideas, images or webpages, vibe code apps, or otherwise stating that something was "created" by said person when AI tools were used.

In their book, The AI Con by Emily M. Bender & Alex Hanna, they define the differences between the umbrella term of AI and types of automation; pointing out how vast of a net the term "AI" is casting in order to market itself.

"Lumping all of these difference technologies under teh label of 'AI' creates the illusion of 'intelligent' technology." (p.7)

For example, using LLMs for things like auto-transcription, automations for webhooks, or using a calculator are not things that the Made by Me Badge was created to tackle.

It's a nuanced goal but the main pillar remains clear: Made by Me Members are creating what they put out into the world.

Made by Me Members are creatives who:

• Want their audience to know that what they are creating and sharing is written by them, not ChatBots.

• Are interested in creating quality content over quantity content.

• Provide human customer service instead of sending people through a river of automated responses.

• Have ideas, products, and services that have been developed and created by humans without the use of AI tools that generate those things for them.

• Opt-out of using things like Vibe Coding, auto-generated webpages, AI images, etc.

• Choose to build, code, develop, and utilize current web software and automation tools in line with their values.

• Want to "AI-proof" their business and creative process so that future work doesn't involve tokens or the exploitation of their intellectual property.

• Still utilize technological advances

What Made by Me is NOT about:

• Hunting down or shaming people who are using AI

• Policing members and what they create.

• Getting deep in the weeds and arguing that anything that once was an automation is now "AI" - part of the AI Hype issue is that past tools are now being lumped into AI when they are each their own standalone technology.

• Nor is it anti-technology.

By using the Made by Me Badge, members are stating that they are the ones behind their content.

AI use is nuanced right now and it's woven into just about every online tool and software we use. You'd have to throw your devices in the trash to avoid using it. The goal isn't to pressure ourselves to be "perfect" but instead to draw a line and let people know that we are creating what we write, draw, paint, speak, sing, record, produce, develop, brainstorm, and share.

The Made by Me Membership involves a one-time fee of $9 USD to help cover the administrative costs of running the site, creating custom badges, and running our community. Currently all done by me!

• ️ Access to Made by Me Badges (including custom ones) to display on your website, sales pages, etc. ​

• Private Made by Me Club Community on HeartBeat where we can collaborate, share what we're working on, share skills and knowledge, learn how to protect our IP from the bots, and change the direction of the creative space.

• Instructions and creative ideas for adding badges it to your site, product listings and sales page(s)

• Verbiage examples to craft your own statement

• Listing in the Made by Me Directory which will include your name, bio, website, an opt-in of your choice, info about you, and options to collaborate with other members.

• Listing on the Made by Me Public Website with your photo, bio, and website

• Made by Me Page example to add to your site including verbiage ideas for sharing what your values are surrounding AI, what you use and don't use, to help give your audience a more transparent view of your work. (Coming Soon).

Questions about Made by Me? Contact me here.