The Panther on AI
Illustration by Sami Seyedhosseini, Photo Editor
Writing is an essential skill, yet most of us perceive it as something to put at the back end of our skill sets. Most people say they feel intimidated by looking at an empty sheet of paper. Where to start, what to say, overthinking their every thought. Unfortunately, some of us are just too lazy to write. We get assigned a 10-page essay and just want to run in the other direction. Writing was already intimidating before, but now we have AI to help us overcome it. Problem solved!
Writing with AI might just be one of the most harmful things you can do to yourself. It may not seem like a big deal at first, asking AI to come up with a few prompts, write an introductory statement or fix up a few paragraphs here and there. But the next thing you know, you find yourself reaching for ChatGPT for almost everything you write, from a class essay to responding to an email. Suddenly, you can’t remember a world where you didn’t consult AI.
A study conducted at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that the use of large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT are the cause of cognitive debt. There were a total of 54 participants divided into three sections: one using LLMs, one using a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) engine, and one using brainpower only. The study found that participants who started with brainpower-only writing and then received help from LLMs showed higher brain activity than those who used LLMs and then switched to brain-only writing.
Imagine the brain as a muscle. You exercise a few times a week to keep yourself strong; the human brain needs to be exercised, too, to sharpen its ability to solve problems, think things through and analyze critically. The brain gets weaker when it gets used to taking shortcuts and having cheat days, it stops being used to its full potential. If you use AI to assist yourself here and there, you eventually find yourself unable to think of anything original. It may not be an issue at the very moment you use ChatGPT’s guidance, but one day you might find yourself unable to have an insightful conversation with your boss or friends because you can’t think of anything interesting to say.
Author William Knowlton Zinsser said, “Writing is thinking on paper. Anyone who thinks clearly can write clearly, about anything at all.”
Writing is one of the most freeing aspects of self-expression. It's you and your pen and paper (or, in most cases, keyboard) against the world. There can be no such thing as perfectionism when it comes to writing because it's literally your stream of consciousness on paper.
Writing is one of the most important aspects of human experience; it instills curiosity, critical thinking and helps shape identity. I love writing even when it doesn’t make any sense at all. What people don’t realize when they are writing is that the brain is opening and making insightful connections. The results of writing with just your brain as a resource are remarkable compared to having something else do it for you.
AI assistants are great to turn to every once in a while. However, there is a difference when all ideas come from AI machines, and it's important to recognize when and if the line is being crossed. Writing independently lets your mind wander and develop creative insights.
The next time you write an essay, article or email, try to sit down for 10 to 20 minutes with just your brain and your thoughts. You will be amazed by what can come out of taking the time to just use your brain as a resource.