Let the machines write for each other

Writing my own words to communicate to another human being is a sacred act. My thoughtful effort and time investment demonstrate that I value to recipient. Generative AI’s writing capability threatens this social contract if we are not thoughtful about how and when we use it. Like many of us, I am figuring out where I draw the moral line.

Spellcheck – seems harmless enough, although it isn’t helping to improve my spelling ability.

Grammatical Structure – a helpful editor, but hard to ignore its stylistic suggestions.

Outlining – good for structure, but is it influencing my writing too much?

Brainstorming – bust that writer’s block, but am I hurting my ideation skills?

Generating content based off of what I previously wrote – a bridge too far for me when writing for another person.

Where I have no concerns in using AI writing is when the audience is another machine. Search engine optimization is an area that I have started to leverage AI-generated content. Search keywords and meta content are rarely if ever read by a human. I want to use these features effectively, so why not let AI take on the drudgery to me? I prefer to devote my time to write so that I can be better understood by people as opposed to machines.

There are many grey areas and each of us will need to decide on our own personal guidelines. Form filling is one of those grey areas. While form content may be “read” by a human, in most cases it is more accurate to say that it is processed. Another interesting example I came across recently is using AI to summarize a conversation that needs to have a written record. The value and human connection happen in the talk and AI takes on the role of scribe.

While we try to figure out how to embrace AI writing, I’ll leave you with a parting thought. If you want your writing to demonstrate that you value your reader, write it yourself.