The Cost of Care

An AI-aided news response sonnet

Dawn breaks on a world still scarred and sore,
Another shooting, families forevermore
Bound by grief, their hearts a heavy weight,
A world of suffering, where hope grows late.

Yet, in this darkness, a flicker of light,
A human touch, a beacon burning bright.
Beyond the screens, where cold logic resides,
Empathy's ember, where compassion abides.

For in the face of illness, pain, and fear,
A human heart can offer solace sincere.
A gentle hand, a listening ear, a prayer,
A healing touch, beyond all digital care.

Though cold logic's gaze may judge with harsh intent,
A human soul can truly comprehend.
Let's rise above the noise, the anger, the strife,
And choose compassion, to honor every life.

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Author’s note: This week’s shooting of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson shocked the nation and unleashed an unusual combination of sympathy and vitriol from the public. Brian was an Iowa native from Jewell, a small town only 30 minutes from where I grew up and live. I learned we had many acquaintances in common and my heart went out to his family. I wrote a poem about this tragic incident — and then I noticed one of the threads of discussion in the media and on social media was about the increased use of AI in insurance and how that may or may not have affected health care claims decisions. As a result, I asked AI to turn the finished poem into a sonnet. AI and I went back and forth about 10 times before it expressed what I wanted to say in this specific form. Please note that while our collaboration made my original poem into an effective sonnet, I believe I will stick to original writing in the future.

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