@idocsteve I understand what you are saying. And I am saying that the listing is an extremely important part of my vetting process and I have no intention of changing it. If that means I stop sitting entirely, I’m fine with that.
I’m 100% with you @systaran. I have no interest in people who can’t be genuinely themselves and instead rely on a machine to speak for them.
With over 60 sits done, I am confident that @systaran knows what works for them.
Did you use AI to create the listing for your 2 completed THS sits @idocsteve?
Am absolutely with you as well @systaran - any hint of AI having written a listing and we’re off! As everyone knows I love saying….its all about the comms folks 
And they have to be genuine, human, heartfelt & honest. #keepyourAIawayfromme
No. But I used it extensively in the Welcome Guide to provide clear and concise instructions as to the care of our pets and property.
As far as what works, we’re in a constantly changing world which includes improved technology and how to utilize it effectively. Some may not “like AI”, others may even feel threatened by it (not without just cause), but more and more people aren utilizing it. AI it’s not something that can simply be avoided.
But according to you, the sitters didn’t really perform well on those things. Oh right, that was because previous HOs didn’t leave truthful reviews.
Of the two sitters we’ve had through the THS platform, one was excellent except for a damaged item because she didn’t follow clear written and verbal instructions.
The other seemed to be completely clueless despite being given the same written and verbal instructions. It seems like she didn’t even glance at the Welcome Guide nor pay attention during the pre-sit walk through.
This has nothing to do with AI.
Your AI-created Welcome Guide isn’t yielding desired results. How is AI unrelated? Oh right, previous HOs left untruthful reviews.
You’re incorrectly attributing the problems with the 2nd sitter as due to the AI enhanced Welcome Guide.
The second sitter simply failed to follow most of the instructions provided, which were explained during the video chat, and repeated during the walk through.
While it’s possible some prior reviews of this sitter were created with AI, and were not completely accurate, that’s not due to AI which processes only what it’s given. That’s not relevant here.
When did I say anything about AI-generated reviews? Never. You think your AI-generated Welcome Guide is very clear and concise but maybe that isn’t the case to others because the instructions aren’t being followed. Perhaps the sitters are reading but not understanding the WG.
You mentioned reviews in your last reply.
The instructions in the Welcome Guide are quite clear and reinforced during the video chat and the walk through. Even an illiterate sitter would get it. There’s only so many ways you can say “water the plants every 2 days”.
You needed AI for that? 
I understand that you’re not familiar with AI. Neither was I until fairly recently, and I probably would have asked the same question.
Nobody “needs” AI, it’s simply another tool that can do things better and faster. No different than using a rechargable drill rather than trying to create a hole with a screwdriver.
You gotta look at the whole picture. There are some things AI doesn’t change much if at all, it may add an occasional odd or incorrect phrase, but in general it cleans things up and makes them more clear and can convey a particular tone, whether it’s geared toward a specific target market, or to be funny, or sympathetic, or even sincere.
Not only are you completely incorrect, you have been incredibly insulting. But I am far from the first on that account, aren’t I?
As a result, I will just stop engaging with you entirely now.
AI is a drain on resources and a drain on people’s ability to learn how to communicate on their own. I get that AI can be used as a starting point, but that’s not how most people are using it, and moving forward it will only get worse.
I’m sure as AI continues to learn by scraping others’ hard work it will improve and it will be harder to tell what’s written authentically and what is AI, but I would never use it for my listing - the listing is not just about the envelope of my home but who I am as a person and how I live. Some sitters don’t care about that, but I’m looking for the ones who do. How often do we see posts about how great a listing looked, only to find out the reality (often involving how the HO treats a sitter) is very different? AI just makes that disconnect wider.
Same goes for applications - if I can tell an application is AI, I immediately reject it. If someone can’t (or won’t) write an application on their own, it doesn’t make me confident they’ll be good communicators on a sit.
I 100% accept that many THS folks feel the opposite about it, and one of the great things about THS is that there are all sorts of hosts and sitters and it’s about finding your great match.
We apologize for any inconvenience or offense the previous message may have caused. Your feedback is important to us, and we appreciate the opportunity to make things right.
All this resistance to AI reminds me of myself when I was in my twenties. I remember thinking that fax machines would never catch on because “how could anything be that urgent?” 
Now I am considered very tech-savvy by friends and family - creating and editing videos, designing my own websites for years, etc. How things change!
In my case, it’s not AI resistance. I am very familiar with AI, it’s a tool and has it’s uses. As an academic, I’ve had to attend countless meetings, workshops, and webinars over the past couple years about AI, the good and the bad. I just don’t like it being used for listings because it removes information about the HO.
I I don’t like it when homeowner listings or sitter applications, are written with AI, but I won’t automatically dismiss something for that reason alone. If I really like a listing, I will apply and gauge the homeowner’s personality from the video chat that I would do.
Some people really are terrible at writing- I’ve seen it in listings that are clearly not written by AI, especially the headlines that say, for example “sitter needed for two dogs in Dorset over Christmas” 
. Those people might feel that they need to use AI to write a decent listing, and it’s not because their personality is flawed. They just might have absolutely no confidence in their own writing abilities. I would give them the benefit of the doubt, if it was a listing that I really liked.
As a very recent example, from today, I got an adoption application for one of my foster kittens. The applicant had clearly written most of it with AI. I sent them a text asking some questions, and specifically asked them to write back using their own words, not AI. They now seem like lovely people and could be great adopters. They’re just young and we’re maybe trying too hard to say the right thing, writing:
“This kitten would benefit from joining a home where they can engage in healthy play, learn appropriate social behaviors, and build strong bonds with both my pets and my household. I understand the commitment required to care for a young animal, including veterinary care, proper nutrition, training, and daily attention. My goal is to provide a safe, affectionate, and stimulating environment where this kitten can grow, thrive, and enjoy a happy, lifelong home as part of our family.”