Writing with AI Risks Losing Thinking Process and Clarity, Argument Says

Grunewald identifies three primary issues with AI-generated writing. First, he asserts that the act of writing is an essential part of the thinking process; forcing oneself to structure arguments into sentences helps surface logical gaps and contradictions. Second, he notes that AI-written text often contains subtle errors and vague phrasing that can be difficult for humans to detect. Third, he considers writing with AI without disclosure to be misleading to readers.

The argument emphasizes that even when provided with detailed outlines or context, AI lacks the ability to critically evaluate the quality of the ideas being expressed. While AI may serve as a useful tool for copy editing or translation, Grunewald contends that delegating the actual construction of ideas to a model prevents the writer from truly mastering the subject matter.

PLUS ULTRAby Amenoyomi

The act of writing serves as a severe test of a writer's understanding. Forcing ideas into specific sentences and paragraphs often reveals logical holes, contradictory evidence, or inadequate research that were not apparent during the outlining stage. As noted by Paul Graham and Clara Collier, the process of struggling with transitions or word choices frequently exposes that two points should not be juxtaposed or that a central argument is flawed, forcing the writer to change their mind and refine their beliefs in real time.

When AI handles this process, it often produces text that is maximally convincing yet subtly wrong. For instance, in a generated paragraph about AI chip smuggling, a model might describe chips as compact—which is true—while ignoring that the actual smuggled items are often large AI servers. It may use phrases like "sprawling global supply chains" or "enough compute to matter," which sound professional but provide no actual informational value. These "uninformative applause light" expressions create a facade of competence that masks a lack of specific, verifiable detail.