Writing is a tool that forces a person to think deeply about a problem and the message intended for readers. While AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini are highly effective for coding, research, and data analysis, using them to generate documents from brief notes can bypass this critical cognitive step.
Avoid Using AI to Replace Thinking in the Writing Process
The risk is not that AI is poor at writing, but that it cannot substitute for human thought and original idea generation. Relying on AI to handle the thinking process may result in content that appears polished but fails to address core issues or convey meaningful impact. True productivity in writing should be measured by the quality of ideas and their impact, rather than the volume of content produced.
AI can be effectively used as a support tool for preparation—such as sifting through data or finding patterns—and for receiving feedback. Instead of asking an AI to rewrite or improve a document directly, using it to ask questions like "what questions would you have about this document?" allows the writer to remain in a "thinking mode" to refine their own work.
Sources
- Don't Use AI to Write （Hacker News Frontpage, 2026-09-21）