Heather Ross

Although artificial intelligence seems to generate original prose, it cannot think, create, or make logical leaps. These programs can churn out novel combinations of words and phrases based on patterns it has learned from existing text, but they are fundamentally derivative, extrapolating from what has been written before. Thus, it inherently lacks human creativity, empathy, and nuanced understanding. This is good news: It means that humans are not expendable (yet).

The main source of the over-reliance on AI programs is the misconception that the program can produce a viable final draft. It cannot. It can create a serviceable first draft that you can edit, but the heavy lifting belongs in human hands. Here’s how to get the most out of your use of AI-assisted writing programs.