Writing Crystalized Thinking at Amazon. Is AI Muddying It?

5 hours ago

Amazon's culture traditionally emphasized writing as a way to crystalize thinking, with six-page narratives read in silence at meetings.
Jeff Bezos valued clear, crisp documents over messy meetings, seeing writing as essential to Amazon's deliberative culture.
Amazon is now encouraging employees to use AI, like its internal tool Cedric, to generate documents quickly, raising concerns about the loss of thoughtful writing.
Employees report that AI tools like Cedric are often inadequate, producing incorrect or unreliable outputs, yet there is pressure to use them.
There is a lack of clear guidance or training on how to effectively use AI for writing, leading to frustration and a communication vacuum.
Employees are divided into 'Resisters' (often veterans) who see AI as lowering standards and 'Resigned' (often newer employees) who comply due to pressure.
Some managers now request longer documents, assuming AI will summarize them, which may reduce actual reading and comprehension.
Quality of thought and communication appears to be declining, with AI-generated documents often filled with buzzwords and lacking depth.
Amazon's shift to AI-driven writing is seen as a 'grand experiment,' with long-term implications for the company's culture and intellectual rigor.

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