Writing with Machines

The robot was quite good at copying my style, but much less good at writing anything meaningful. It could predict which words I would be most likely to use but it couldn’t make an original argument for me. Using the robot made me think a lot about the nature of writing and what goes in to its peculiar form of labor. AI tools fundamentally promise t... See more

It was generally agreed that a co-writing AI, like a human co-writer, is most useful when it complements a writer’s own skillset. If a writer already knows how to develop eloquent prose, the AI’s ability to suggest interesting ideas is more crucial than the exact language it chooses. Conversely, if a writer already has a clear story arc in mind, an

... See more