1.5: AI can generate decent-sounding text. Do we still need to learn to write?
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- 346941
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Writing helps us form and communicate thoughts. It helps us make decisions about what actions to take in the world. The point of writing classes was never to churn out essays that follow rules and sound like other people's essays. Yes, writing in Standard English can help us come across as educated in academic and professional settings. And yes, AI may help us edit text into Standard English. But it doesn’t remove the need to learn to write and practice writing as a way to clarify our thinking.
An idea can seem clear in our minds, but when we sit down to write, we struggle. To express the idea, we have to think harder. But that moves us toward insight.
If we ask AI to write something, it will produce. But there’s no reason to think it will say the thing that needs to be said. AI does not "know" what we mean to say. Only we can make that judgment.
Writing answers so many questions in personal, civic, academic, and professional contexts. What career should I choose? Who should I vote for? What should the care plan be for this patient? How should I organize my business? A chatbot may answer one way. If you ask it again, it may answer in a completely contradictory but equally plausible way. Even if the answers are consistent, they’re not ours. The chatbot can’t know what we will come to on our own if we spend the time to read, research, brainstorm, revise, and talk it through. If we skip the writing process, we’re skipping thinking that would help us improve our own understanding and judgment.
Writing skills are important even if chatbots get more sophisticated and we do end up integrating them into our writing processes. Prompting AI means describing what we want and then analyzing, critiquing, and revising what the AI gives us.
So no matter how sophisticated AI text generators get, we will still need experience seeing our ideas come into focus as we find the words to express what we mean. Learning to write in college will continue to be essential.
I’ve made my case, but are you convinced?
- What's your reaction to this argument? Does it resonate with your ways of thinking about writing? Do you find yourself questioning any part of it?
- Have your teachers described the purpose of writing differently than this article does? How have they talked about AI text generators in relation to writing?
- How do you feel about the process of writing - brainstorming, drafting, and revising? Has this process ever helped you clarify your thinking? Have you ever used it to help you make a decision?
- How do you feel about the role of writing in your own education and future career? Do you have any unresolved questions about AI and writing?
If you’d like to read more about writing as a way to improve thinking, see the introduction to How Arguments Work: A Guide to Writing and Analyzing Texts in College.