What is happening to writing? Cognitive debt, Claude Code, the space around AI

6 days ago

AI-generated writing is becoming popular, despite some people disliking it, as it offers perfectly formatted, lengthy, and chipper prose.
The author reflects on their personal journey with writing, from struggling with literacy to becoming a professional writer, and how AI now threatens such careers.
AI is unlikely to replace jobs that require physical presence, tacit knowledge, or in-person engagement, such as historians, teachers, electricians, and plumbers.
The author expresses concern about AI's impact on writing, particularly the displacement of human writing by interactive, AI-generated content like simulations and games.
The author shares their mixed feelings about using AI tools like Claude Code for creative projects, enjoying the innovation but missing the depth and personal style of traditional writing.
Writing is described as a unique form of thinking that combines solitary labor with public engagement, a quality AI cannot replicate.
The author commits to continuing to write without AI, valuing the human connection and intellectual communion that comes from shared reading and debate.
The article includes examples of the author's AI-assisted projects, such as historical simulators and literary tools, highlighting both the potential and limitations of AI in creative work.

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