The only reason real reason to write is because you have determined it is to your own benefit to do so. Without a personal conviction that writing benefits you personally, it is going to be much more difficult to muster the will to follow through with your writing. Take it from me. I spent a lot of time in high school avoiding writing and now I write every week...
I, like most people, was first introduced to writing through school requirements. The teacher would present various arguments to try to convince students why writing is in their interest. Most students were motivated by the grades they received, which might be sufficient for an externally motivated person. I don’t seem to recall grades as a motivating force for myself.
The teacher is naturally looking to have a student demonstrate their recently acquired knowledge and to make arguments in the predetermined format. I needed more internal reasons to write, something like: “How to design a real iron man suit for myself”. I hope to explore these ideas again eventually.
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson makes a good argument on why you should learn to write and keep writing.
"The primary reason to write an essay is so that the writer can formulate and organize an informed, coherent and sophisticated set of ideas about something important [to the writer].”
Writing is a more sophisticated form of thinking and provides superior insight to reading and discussion alone. Writing is a technology specifically developed to enhance and amplify humans’ ability to think abstractly, enabling us to extend our memory and meticulously examine our own ideas as well as others. We probably don’t even understand what we really think unless we’ve examined it thoroughly through writing.
Without the ability to write, we would have low-resolution thinking, be more susceptible to group think, and shirk these capabilities which separate humans from animals. The most common shortcut for unexamined belief is acceptance of the present popular narrative. We would not be able to be as competent, as original, or as interesting without the ability to write. People who cannot write end up making short, nasty, resentful and brutish arguments instead of actually thinking.
There is a freedom and self-determination which becomes available with the ability to deeply examine through the recursive reading, writing, and re-writing. It is a moral failure to leave such awesome capabilities aside.
Impact of Our Tools and Mediums of Writing
The desire to communicate underlies all writing; letters were sent by runner, then horse, buggy, and train. These were comparatively expensive methods of communication.
We are hardwired to make social connections to our family, friends, and community. Our technological progress has simply dropped the barriers of word generation and transmission to near zero.
People used to have to write with ink on parchment, or even carve stone before that. There was a high barrier to entry, and you had to have been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time to begin learning. Even when I was growing up, they taught us to write in cursive, since it was a faster way to write on paper that way.
Now we have the ability to speak our words straight onto our pocket screens. These magic tablets convert speech into text, taps into letters, and recently gained the ability to write entire essays simply by taking a picture of the teacher's assignment.
These technologies blur the lines of DIY, done with, and done for you an alarming amount, but in general I choose what to publish, just like a student chooses what to submit. I'm still awful at typing and spelling, but those problems are largely solved for me.
I generally follow the structure provided at essay.app/guide which I recommend for you writers out there. Then I often let the LLM design the structure because it has been trained on the structures people prefer to read by their own admission. Then I edit the wording again and again. I’m doing my best to write without help this time in a structure worth reading. Tiered lists in particular seem to make reading easier, which are noticeably missing from this text.
Scarcity vs Abundance - Quality vs Quantity
There is something about scarcity which enables us to more deeply imbue value into our words. The reduction of friction in words creation and transmission has changed the amount of thought we have to put into our writing. Think of the difference between a text message compared to a phone call compared to a handwritten letter. It ends up changing our behavior.
When you could only exchange 100 letters to your family abroad in a lifetime, the words were more precious. Now that you can livestream bi-directional video effectively for free, the value of those words is reduced by the total quantity which can be exchanged.
It is of course great to have, and you should call your mom, and grandma. (I sure know I'm overdue) Still, it's obvious that the value has changed, evidence being that not nearly as many people still make handwritten letters and mail them. (However, you still should write people letters, because they feel higher value.)
Regardless of the old ways, technological tools will continue to reduce friction continually changing the frontier of communication which is writing and wordage in general. The next shift has begun, it comes from AI, more specifically Large Language Models (LLMs). That said, it’s a good idea to start out with or to try out older methods like handwriting as well as new tools too.
Tools for Writing vs Tools that Write for You
There are 3 tiers of action humans can take in any endeavor.
Do It Yourself
Done with You
Done for You
When the typewriter which became the keyboard increased the total amount of text creation it changed the words which were written because more of them could be written. Similarly, now that LLMs can write on your behalf, the increased quantity of words produced affects the meaning and depth of information encoded within the text.
As always, the use of the tools is up to the user. Humans are the tool users, they can use the tools to reduce the load on themselves, and they can use the tools to produce that which could not have existed before said tools existed. The tool is not what does the doing. We must always hold ourselves accountable for our use of tools and not blame our actions or laziness on the tools or the mediums which have been invented over time.
When I talk to the AI for 10 minutes about an article I want to write and it spits out a nice article in less than 30 seconds, it really changes the friction involved in writing. I find that it doesn't write or use the language I prefer but it gets the general idea most of the time. I often then refine by speaking to it again, and I do this until I get something which is close enough that I can edit it. Often times while I'm editing my idea or intentions will change a lot and substantial amounts of the original writing become irrelevant and are overwritten.
The problem is always when a student types “Write my essay on the [Topic] in a 5-paragraph format” The AI will produce a highly generalized essay which no student would ever write. The input, usually called a prompt, is the context which the AI uses to predict the outputs the human is looking for. A more sophisticated student would include articles, sources, and thus increase context available to aid the AI to write higher quality results.
AI Written vs Human Written or something in between?
I'll be the first to admit I use AI to help me with my writing. (Not this writing specifically, I intentionally decided to write this entirely without AI to make these points about writing [it’s hard to distinguish]) I find that I have several ideas a day which could become articles, but they need to be nurtured, developed, and refined to take a form which enables the ideas to be transmitted effectively between people.
I made a video. It was based on Scott McCloud’s Comic Book Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art It examines the Encoding Decoding challenge artists and writers mutually face on interpretation. (I miss making videos.)
His Comic Book does a good meta-analysis of writing vs drawing in the comic format describing the landscape between letters, forms, and figures. I will revisit the influence of medium on quality and completeness of communication eventually.
Now that I have the above, entirely human written section of text, we will ask a few different AI models to re-write it in a 5-paragraph essay and run the results through some of the AI detectors to see what results we get.
Finally, I'll use my method of iteration and editing to produce a third section which is a mutual effort to write a 5-paragraph version of these arguments. I'll be sure to make them easy to distinguish.
Writing is an essential tool for thinking, organizing, and refining our ideas. Dr. Jordan B. Peterson argues, "The primary reason to write an essay is so that the writer can formulate and organize an informed, coherent and sophisticated set of ideas about something important." Writing helps transform scattered thoughts into clear, structured concepts. Without the ability to write well, our thinking becomes shallow, reducing the depth and originality we can offer. Writing, therefore, is not just a requirement but a means of cultivating sharper, higher-resolution thinking.
Throughout history, writing has evolved from ink on parchment to the ease of typing or speaking into a device. While technology has made writing more accessible, the core purpose remains the same: to communicate effectively. Tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) can now assist in writing, but the responsibility to think, organize, and refine still lies with the human writer. We can either use these tools to enhance our abilities or fall into the trap of letting them replace the deep thinking required for good writing.
One key advantage of writing is its recursive nature. Through drafting and revising, we clarify our thoughts, explore new ideas, and uncover insights we may have missed during initial brainstorming. This process not only leads to better writing but also sharper thinking. Without this exercise, we risk making simplistic arguments or relying on weak logic, which ultimately limits our capacity to contribute meaningfully to discussions or debates.
In today's digital age, AI tools have added a new layer to the writing process. They can help generate text quickly, but as the writer, we still hold the responsibility to refine and personalize that text. AI can be a powerful assistant, helping to get ideas down faster, but the final product is a reflection of the writer’s thoughts, values, and effort. The real value of writing emerges in this blend of technology and human intent.
Ultimately, writing is more than just a school assignment or a task. It is a tool that shapes our thoughts, refines our ideas, and enhances our ability to communicate clearly. Whether done manually or with the assistance of AI, the act of writing is indispensable for deep thinking and meaningful communication. Embrace the process of writing not just for external rewards but for the personal growth and insight it brings.
Writing is an indispensable tool for developing and refining our thoughts. As Dr. Jordan B. Peterson notes, the primary purpose of writing an essay is to formulate and organize a sophisticated set of ideas about something important. This process transforms scattered thoughts into clear, structured concepts. Without strong writing skills, our thinking risks becoming shallow, limiting the depth and originality of our contributions. Thus, writing is not merely a requirement but a means of cultivating sharper, more precise thinking.
Throughout history, writing has evolved from ink on parchment to digital technologies, yet its core purpose remains unchanged: effective communication. While modern tools like Large Language Models (LLMs) can assist in the writing process, the responsibility for deep thinking and refinement still lies with the human writer. We face a choice: to use these tools to enhance our abilities or to let them replace the cognitive effort required for quality writing.
One of writing's key strengths is its recursive nature. Through drafting and revising, we clarify our thoughts, explore new ideas, and uncover insights that may have been missed during initial brainstorming. This iterative process not only improves our writing but also sharpens our thinking. Without this exercise, we risk making simplistic arguments or relying on weak logic, ultimately limiting our ability to contribute meaningfully to discussions or debates.
In the digital age, AI tools have introduced a new dimension to the writing process. While they can quickly generate text, the writer retains the responsibility to refine and personalize that content. AI can serve as a powerful assistant, helping to get ideas down faster, but the final product should reflect the writer's unique thoughts, values, and efforts. The true value of writing emerges from this blend of technological assistance and human intent.
Ultimately, writing transcends being a mere school assignment or task; it is a fundamental tool that shapes our thoughts, refines our ideas, and enhances our ability to communicate clearly. Whether done manually or with AI assistance, the act of writing is crucial for deep thinking and meaningful communication. We should embrace the writing process not just for external rewards but for the personal growth and insight it brings, recognizing its vital role in developing our cognitive abilities and articulating our ideas effectively.
ZeroGPT tested this article for AI above ^^
End of AI Writing
Mixed: AI Written, Human Iterated, and Edited
Why Write an Essay? (GPT4 + Maclaine)
The fundamental purpose of writing an essay is to formulate, organize, and communicate a coherent set of sophisticated ideas about a topic that is important to the writer. Writing enables us mortals to articulate complex thoughts and ideas while also deepening our own understanding of the subject by forcing us to engage with concepts at multiple higher levels of abstraction. Simply reading and talking does not require the same level of recursive exploration and refinement which writing demands, enhancing clarity and insight during the process. This regular practice is crucial for developing higher-resolution abstractions, thinking, in order to increase general competence.
Writing Tools, Before and Now
In the past, writing was rare and there were significant barriers to entry, literacy being the first. Over time, technological advancements, general abundance, and wealth of knowledge have drastically reduced these barriers. The shift from handwriting to typing was a substantial speed upgrade, and now with voice-to-text technologies, the barriers are near zero. Recently, large language models (LLMs) and other AI tools can even draft essays from a single sentence. Like all new tools it requires new skills and practice to use creatively. The level of involvement required from the user varies, from DIY to fully automated systems, each for its own use cases. Still, it is the user's decision what to express and publish.
Handwriting, Instantaneous Communication Technology, Critical Thinking
The mediums of communication technology have transformed how we interact with and perceive the value of read and written words. When communication was limited to physical letters, each word held significant weight due to the effort involved in writing and sending them. In contrast, modern technologies allow for instantaneous communication, which dilute the value of words, compared to handwritten letters. Our behavioral patterns have become radically different, reflecting a broader change in the landscape of human interaction. Yet, the classic 5 paragraph essay retains its function, to teach a critical thinking through recursive iteration.
AI as a Tool for Writing
While the writing process is important to practice personally, LLMs exemplify the next frontier in the evolution of writing tools. AI can take unstructured text/audio and generate cohesive writing outputs in response, changing the dynamics of writing by reducing the friction involved in translating thoughts into words and persuasive arguments. Technology is always streamlining the writing process, though it still requires human refinement to properly align with one’s personal style and intended meaning. Iterative processes will never be fully automated. This writing is a hybrid of human and AI, it showcases a symbiotic relationship where both contribute to the creation of the final works value and effectiveness.
Human vs. AI or Humans Multiplied by AIs
While I utilize AI to assist with my writing, acknowledging its utility in transforming rough ideas into structured articles, there remains a distinct difference between purely AI-generated and my human-iterated and refined text. My final published output often involves a tangled combination of both. Human input and iteration are essential for facilitating whatever message I’m aiming to communicate to readers. Plus, I like my own personal nuance better than the baseline AI most of the time. As they say: “If you can’t beat them, join them”
End of AI + Human Writing
Tools to Check for AI Written Content
I have made a short list of websites which claim to be able to detect AI writing. I believe they are primarily made to detect a particular model (GPT4) but are being expanded to detect more models over time.
Turnitin is probably best for Professors as your school likely already pays for its services and they will be professional. Downside being Turnitin is not available for free to try out, so I can’t vouch for its effectiveness.
I can’t vouch for the quality of either, but you can guess based on my results from Grammarly and ZeroGPT on the various sections of this article.
This is the Grammarly Detector. I wrote this in the first section:
This section was written by GPT4o:
Claude AI Wrote this Section:
This is the Pre-Edited(All AI), AI + Human section:
Finally, this is the Result from the post edited(Mostly Me) Dual AI Section:
I will make one more note which is that having already written a large amount which I fed to the AI as context to enable it to write those 5 paragraph essays, I enabled it to write more originally than a shorter “Prompt” would have. Such as a professor’s assignment with an example vs without an example.
The less information the AI is provided the more general/generic (and thus detectable) its writing will be, the more “context” it gets the more effective it can be at writing higher quality results. This is similar to when I talk to it for long periods of time and refine the arguments through iteration. We can get a mutually original work which would not be able to be obtained anywhere else.
There are also a lot of services which claim to be able to take AI writing and "Humanize" the results. Though I decided that was outside the scope of this article. You should be aware that this is an everlasting battle between technology advancement and the old ways.
Here is a study which found that ~60% of professors when asked which writing was AI and which was human thought that the AI writing was more human. Article Reference 1 & Article Reference 2 for those who cannot get behind the pay wall.
In Conclusion
This challenge of digitally vs organically generated writing is not going away, but luckily your lifelong human learned intuition is the best bullshit meter available today. The same way you caught plagiarism and cheating will aid your ability to detect AI.
For teachers and Professors who want their students to learn to write and detect when those students are using AI wholly or too heavily, here are a few ways I came up with to help you with that.
First: Make them write in from of you. They can't use AI if you are watching.
Second: Huge variation in style or quality is a good giveaway. I write in a more chaotic fashion and AI usually has a much more tempered structure.
Third: check their sources, AI is known for making up sources, though they have largely solved that problem, lazy students likely have not examined the specifics or learned to use AI in a way which thwarts these efforts.
Fourth: Ask them to recapitulate their arguments, in order, without access to their paper. A student who spent time writing, refining and editing their paper will be able to recall and recapitulate arguments made, where students who did not write their paper will not be able to do so.
Fifth is to have the students provide/show you copies of the reference material used, specifically the articles or papers read to inform the essay.
Post Conclusion Ponderance
Where the term AI means Artificial Intelligence, I think it is a bit of a misnomer, it is more like Intelligence Amplification, where a user must work with the LLM to generate, modify and edit text. That said these tools appear to be bootstrapping their future selves and will continue to do more and more work. See Can LLMs Generate Novel Research Ideas?
I made this video with Google Vids <5 minutes. It basically did all the work…
It’s not amazing, but again… 5 minutes… Audio, Voiceover, Slides, Fully AI… Just extrapolate a few years of improvement, and where will we be?
