Why I keep writing in the age of AI
The most exploited use case for LLMs today is writing. It's tempting to think we can outsource all of our writing tasks to machines. After all, language models like GPT, Bard, and Claude can generate text that is indistinguishable from human-written text.
What worries me - The advent of Google Maps outsourced navigation to apps, but also resulted in people losing their ability to read maps and have a sense of direction. We are at a similar inflection point with writing.
Here are 4 reasons why I am continuing to write for my own benefit:
Writing is how we realize we don't understand what we are talking about. When we write, we are forced to organize our thoughts and put them into words. This process helps identify areas where our understanding is weak and gaps in arguments. Only when you put pen to paper can you see where you don't understand it.
Writing is how we make our thoughts visible. Writing is a thought and brain muscle. It is how you make the abstract, invisible forces in your mind (thoughts) visible. When ideas are siting in your head you can't see them, you can't play with them, you can't adjust them and you are limited in your ability to share them. Writing is like going to the gym for your brain.
Writing not only helps you reflect on ideas and refine them, but generate new ideas. The act of writing forces you to slow down and think deeply about your ideas, assertions and point of views. When you have to put your ideas into words, you start to see them in a new light. You notice connections that you didn't see before, or you may come up with new ideas altogether.
You learn humility through writing. When we write, we are forced to confront our own limitations. We may realize that an idea is not as good as we originally thought, or that it is simply not feasible. When we edit our work, we often have to delete. Learning to delete teaches us intellectual humility and adaptability. You learn to give up on an idea when needed. You learn to change your mind. You learn to edit, iterate and accept feedback to make your output stronger.
I do think the LLMs serve as great copy-editors to help refine, adapt, and strengthen your writing. BUT you can't examine your own thinking if your source material is generated by GPT.
Becoming a better writer is a parallel journey to becoming a better thinker.
Don't give up on it.
