AI and Writing: Should you prioritize speed?

Back when microwaves were a new thing, people got sucked into the initial exuberance about how they would change cooking forever.

For example, I had a cookbook that breathlessly extolled the microwave’s time-saving virtues for nearly anything:

Scrambled eggs!

Roast beef!

Vegetable casseroles!

Alas, microwave cooking doesn’t work well for everything. In a microwave, the ingredients in a casserole or stew cook independently, without the lovely co-mingling that defines the dishes. And don’t get me started on roasting meat.

We’re seeing similar excitement about using Artificial Intelligence in writing. People are extolling AI to do nearly everything-write their emails, outline and draft books, and so on. Like those cookbook authors, they’re thrilled about how much time we will save.

Yes, you can use generative AI programs to write things for you. But should you? And do you even want to?

Understand its limits and possibilities

The New York Times carried the story of a lawyer who submitted a brief generated by AI. The brief cited related case law to support the client’s claims. Alas, the cases didn’t exist.