Reading up on writing

A survey of 181 developers finds that 40% of those who always use LLMs to write blog posts never wrote before, while 72% of LLM draft users perform substantial editing and only 13% feel the output captures their voice.

Using LLMs to write breaks a social contract where the writer must exert greater effort than the reader, making even good AI-generated content feel fraudulent.

Nearly 400 educators report shifting to in-class, handwritten essays as AI makes take-home writing assignments unpoliceable and ubiquitous among students.

Creating a concrete AI style guide with voice, structure, and anti-patterns helps models replicate a writer's idiosyncratic judgment rather than producing generic prose.

AI-generated writing signals disrespect for readers by outsourcing thinking, but thoughtful human-guided use can still communicate effectively.

The act of sharing AI-chat transcripts is emerging as a new literary form that transmits raw thinking rather than compressed conclusions, inverting traditional communication craft.

David Brooks announces his departure from the New York Times after 22 years to pursue building something new.

In writing and content creation, capturing the reader's attention immediately is essential, though some argue this prioritizes hooks over substance.

The original article argues that the struggle of writing without AI is what produces genuine thought and quality, while commenters debate whether that friction is worthwhile or just a luxury.

Tatiana Schlossberg submitted an unsolicited essay on her cancer diagnosis to The New Yorker, which accepted and barely edited it.