Would love to hear more from writers on how they are using AI in their process. The ones who aren't copypasting. Where, when, to what degree.
some thoughts on AI & writing, as prompted by this thoughtful piece:
i understand why people are sensitive about AI in writing. writing has long been proof that someone paid the cost of attention. AI can cheapen that if it lets people produce the vibe of having thought without actually thinking
but i still don’t think ‘was AI used?’ is the most useful question, because writing is a whole process. imo the better question is closer to: where exactly did AI enter the process?
an analogy is an editor. we already accept editors as part of writing, even though good editors can meaningfully change a piece. we don’t usually think the writer stops being the author, because the editor didn’t originate the whole thing
i think AI, at its best, can play a similar role as sparring partner for something you are already trying to understand. it can ask better questions or draw out ideas, but the final wrestling and choices still should come from the writer
as a writer, the difference feels bodily to me. you can feel when an insight has moved through your own mind, versus when language is just being produced on your behalf
writing is thinking, but thinking also often happens in conversation. AI can be used to avoid thought, but it can also be used to think more clearly. the line is blurry, which is exactly why the concern is real, but also why the conversation deserves more than ‘AI use = fake writing’