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When we lose our ability to write, we lose our ability to think. That’s the potential risk posed by generative AI’s proficiency in creating written content that mirrors the creativity of the human mind.
In a recent blog post, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates revealed some of his concerns around the widespread adoption of this technology. Among them were fears around job displacement and mis/disinformation, and near the bottom of this troubling list of possible futures was one that—although not as headline stealing—was equally as unsettling: an erosion of our ability to express ideas through words—to exercise that most basic form of communication that has evolved over centuries to fuel the evolution of society and the technology we now enjoy. Ironic, then, that it could be that same technology that weakens this very skill.
Everything from cover letters to product reviews to news stories can now be produced by advanced algorithms. The utility of this technology will lead to widespread adoption and routine usage, which in turn will lead to people writing less—because now they don’t have to. Fast forward ten (maybe five) years and words as a form of expression may be largely limited to ChatGPT prompts rather than giving life to original ideas. Programs will now do what resembles that, but isn’t. The fear is that this will weaken our ability to express complex, nuanced thoughts through words and therefore make our communications clumsy and coarse.
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Use it or lose it. The brain, like our muscles, develops proficiencies with repetition; and like our muscles, weakens with neglect. Weakening our ability to write because we no longer have to would atrophy our ability to think at any depth and generate enlightened ideas. Even as I write these sentences, my brain is processing concepts and wrestling with the best syntax to express them. I reflect on tone, word choice, and clarity—a mental workout that’s like a personal training session for the mind. Much of that will be lost if an algorithm is doing the heavy lifting. It’s like an e-bike propelling a body forward without conferring any of the physical benefits of exercise. We’ll get to our destination all the same, but the passenger aided by technology won’t become as strong and fit.
The degree to which technology can rewire our cognitive abilities can be seen in social media. Apps like Instagram and X, which serve up short, digestible content, have eroded our patience and willingness to engage with more substantive written material. We’ve been snacking on bite-sized appetizers of information for so long we can no longer stomach a full meal—nor have the capacity to finish one. Consequently, we’re losing much of the deeper meaning and nuance inherent to longer articles. And the full richness of knowledge—which can’t fit within the limits of a 240-character tweet—is lost to us.
This is not to say that generative AI should be avoided. I believe we ought to embrace it to ensure that its adoption remains ethical and improves society rather than harm it. But given its potential to alter fundamental aspects of how we think and communicate, I’m committed to preserving what’s at risk, namely, our skills at writing and generating ideas and complex thought. I will write now more than ever to maintain—and build—my mental fitness, and not let the new personal trainer do all the heavy lifting.
Because everyone likes a healthy body, and also a healthy mind.