Stay Human Friends

 Reasons to Write

I try to meet up about once a week for coffee with two writer friends, John and Kush.  Even though we’ve got different writing backgrounds (spy novels, narrative nonfiction, theater) we have animated discussions about all things writing:  Challenges with agents, plot structure, the tension between character and genre that keeps us engaged with The Big Lebowski…  One topic that comes up time and again is the journey of discovery that we all experience during the process of writing. 

Most articles I read dealing with the drawbacks of AI bring up the same concerns about how AI generated content still can’t match human content for quality, originality, or tone.  But I think these arguments miss a larger point about what we lose when we hand over the process of writing to a computer. 

Recently I remembered a quote that went something like, “I write to find out what I’m thinking.”  In my research to learn who uttered these words of wisdom I discovered that, actually, a great number of writers including Flaubert, Joan Didion, Toni Morrison and Stephen King all said something that drew a similar connection between the act of writing and thinking.  Because writing, like any art, actually serves two purposes:  One is to create a product (the story or whatever it is you’re writing), the second is to strengthen your understanding of yourself in relationship to your environment through the process of creation. 

Lost Opportunities

“That’s all fine and good for novelists”, you may be thinking, “but how does this play out in the real world?”  Well, here’s one example: I lead a story workshop for new hires and interns at organizations that focuses on helping the participants create an engaging story that aligns their personal values with the values of the organization. The physical takeaway in these workshops is a rough draft of a personal story intended to help build relationships with mentors and collaborators, but the psychological takeaway is a deeper understanding of why they care about the work they do, how it impacts other people, and how their involvement at their organization aligns with their values.

Given the prevalence of job opportunities out there for AI trainers and the volume of people offering their expertise for free to prompts set up by social media platforms, I assume it’s only a matter of time before computers can create content that’s indistinguishable from most human created content.  But it’s the lost opportunity to be thoughtful and reflective about what we care about and why that I’m concerned with.  This is how we distinguish ourselves as human beings and gain the confidence and understanding to find creative solutions to the challenges of an increasingly dynamic world. 

What Gives Your Business More Value?

Social media companies push the narrative that churning out content on their platforms is essential to the success of your business, and this may be true for some businesses (it’s certainly true for their business).  But just stop to breathe for a minute and take a look at your organization.  What offers you more value?  Is it really more content created faster to fill inboxes and toss into the infinite scroll?  Or can you see the value of having human beings on your team who are curious, reflective, and original thinkers? 

I’m talking about, yes, new hires who have had a chance to reflect on how their own values relate to those of their company, but also sales reps with a deeper understanding of how their product benefits audiences they address, managers who can motivate change by reflecting on how it might affect stakeholders, and startup founders who have the time to consider the motivations of potential investors. 

Of course, I’m not saying that this is an either-or issue.  I imagine most businesses will need to find the right balance.  What I am suggesting–in a world where AI continues to improve and has the ability to take on more and more complex writing assignments effectively–is that you be intentional about how you use it and consider the value added to your organization when you work with people who have the skills and the opportunity to practice original thinking.