Writing Has Been and Will Remain a Superpower

With the advent of ChatGPT and other language learning models, we may soon be outsourcing basic forms of writing the same way we’ve been outsourcing math to calculators for years.

And while there is a strong case for using and exploiting text based generative AI to its fullest potential, we would be remiss not to recognize the negative latent functions associated with doing so.

The number one sought after soft skill that any employer looks for is effective communication. Employers seek candidates who can convey information clearly, listen actively, and express themselves in a professional manner.

And if you are an employee, you know there is nothing more frustrating than a blustering boss who continues an endless cavalcade of vague promises, or a CEO who is unable to articulate his vision for the future of the company, and why you should care.

Strong communication skills encompass verbal, written, and non-verbal communication, allowing individuals to interact with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders effectively.

And we pretend, as a culture, that effective communication is simply something you learn as you grow up. But techniques like mirroring, active listening, and persuasive writing are all skills that have to be learned, practiced and honed.

In a single piece of prose, whether fiction, an essay, a blog, or an email to a colleague, you have to be aware of tone, diction (word choice), and syntax (the length of your sentences). And that doesn’t include more advanced techniques like alliteration, allusion, assonance, sibilance, simile and metaphor.

We can always have a chatbot write the barebone of what we need and then edit it. But we miss out on the opportunity to craft something of value and hone our skills in the process.

If you are writing a social media post, a bullshit busy work assignment for school, or a perfunctory email, then there really is no harm in using GPT and learning a bit or prompt engineering.

But it's likely any language learning model will fall short of your expectations, and its subtext and emotional impact will ring hollow when it really counts. Like trying to write a best man speech for a beloved sibling, a eulogy for a parent or guardian, a cover letter for a dream job, a letter of intent to the seller of that perfect house, or an email to an irate client you can’t afford to lose when they won’t pick up the phone.

Ayn Rand defines good writing in her book “The Art of Fiction” as being able to “turn your abstractions into concretes.” That’s what you’re really doing when you write. You have a message you want to convey, an idea you want to explore with others, or an image in your head you’d like to share.

And when you first try to ground that abstraction into reality, we often become disillusioned by the preliminary results. Your first pass at a painting, or the first few pages of that novel, will feel so off the mark that it can be tempting to just give up and turn to your favorite LLM to do the job for you.

But until we perfect flash cloning organs or gene splicing to repair DNA, writing is one of the only ways we’ll have the prospect of living well beyond our allotted years. People still read books written by people hundreds, perhaps thousands of years ago. The author’s physical life ended long ago, but their mental life remains alive and meaningful, even today.

All that being said, I do recognize the appeal and its no secret that AI will replace much of the menial work people are forced to do everyday. So if it is 70 and sunny, and your least favorite teacher or petulant boss just gave you a busy work assignment that any idiot could do, then I have no issue employing the use of AI to satisfy their petty demands.

But you’ll find that any sort of AI falls short when it really counts. So invest in yourself, and never stop learning, growing or iterating.

Because while AI can mimic our heroes, it can’t produce anything of true value just yet. And that’s where you come in.