In 9th grade, I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt, and used King Tut as the subject for a research paper I was required to write for Honors English. I checked out over a dozen books from the library, consumed them voraciously while filling out my required citation cards, and labored for hours on my draft, which culminated in a paper I was proud to submit.
Only to be crushed by my teacher’s accusation that I must have plagiarized because there was “no way a high school student could write at that level.”
My parents were called, and while they staunchly supported me and stood witness to my effort, my grade suffered, and I left that class feeling jaded. My level of effort had betrayed me.
Sometimes, I feel like I’m right back in that 9th-grade classroom.
Writing (more specifically, writing precisely and well) is an imperative for the work I do, but with the advent of AI, that level of precision (intentional cadence, uniform bullet structure, balanced phrasing, etc.) is sometimes called into question or mistaken for work run through a bot.
It can be frustrating and disheartening, but I find solace in the fact that while AI can be and is a useful tool in specific use-cases (I use it myself), it often optimizes copy to “sound good” rather than to provide clarity or substance.
Writing as a profession already comes with a slew of challenges and bias – many people assume that because they took English in high school and college, that everyone can write.
Those of us who have ever graded an English paper know differently. 🙂
So much of the value in writing comes from the tedium of drafting – having to sit with your thoughts and critically disseminate them in a way that resonates with your intended audience while still conveying your point, as well as understanding the opportunities and limitations of your chosen form and channel.
There is no question that AI is a useful tool and a handy shortcut, but so many of us miss the point when we allow ourselves to outsource our thinking to it.
