On Writing with AI

Writing with AI feels like having a conversation with a very well-read colleague who never gets tired. It’s not about replacing the writer’s voice but about accelerating the journey from idea to expression.

The most valuable use I’ve found is as a thinking partner. When I’m stuck, I can articulate what I’m trying to say and get back variations that often reveal what I actually meant. It’s like having a mirror that reflects your thoughts in slightly different arrangements.

There’s a danger, of course. The ease of generation can lead to a kind of intellectual laziness. Why struggle with a phrase when the machine can offer ten alternatives? But the struggle is often where the insight lives. The friction of finding the right word forces deeper thinking about what you’re actually trying to communicate.

My current approach treats AI as a first draft collaborator and a final polish assistant, but the middle work - the actual wrestling with ideas - remains stubbornly human. That’s where the voice lives.