The work of writing

I often quote from Tom Johnson’s blog, and highly recommend following him.

This time about the impact of AI tools on writing:

As I’ve used AI tools to assist with content brainstorming, generation, and editing, I’ve noticed one thing: these tools make me forget how laborious writing can be. When you get used to clicking a button to generate coherent sentences, how can you find the patience to go back to manual modes, in which each step in the essay writing process requires time, thought, research, and a lot of rewriting? Students may simply grow too impatient to write.

There’s something more to this than a “the sky is falling” or “this generation” trope. Good creative output is a lot of work, and the tedium of essay writing in school helps train you to structure your thoughts, do original research, and synthesize something new.

This is part of a long, subtle shift from creation to consumption as a societal value.