Will Writers Survive? (My Conversation With Chat GPT)

A sprawling article in The New Republic last year questioned whether the coming of artificial intelligence (AI) spells the end for human writers. (TNR)

“If a computer can write like a person, what does that say about the nature of our own creativity?” asked the author, Samanth Subramanian.

The answer was, after a long winding trail of considerations, that nobody can yet say for sure, at least according to this author. But he seemed to suggest that human writers would prevail in the end.

The key word in this equation is “human.” In our society, human writers do much more than simply write. They invent and provoke and stimulate and define. They give voice to voiceless as well as to the unspeakable. They create the public narratives that help define both our social and private lives.

In fiction and nonfiction alike, they express the inner longings of the human spirit, which machines may emulate but cannot replicate. They connect people with each other through stories.

Like artists of all kinds, writers’ work can be copied — we call it plagiarism — but as creators they themselves cannot be replaced. AI may take away many of the jobs writers have; if so that will be a tragedy. But the writers will remain.

Writing is so much more than turning a phrase, word-smithing or even telling a story. Fundamentally, it’s about forging authentic human connections one at a time, word by word.

That will always be superior, IMHO, to the artificial connections enacted by machines.

And only a human being can tell the difference.

***

When I asked ChatGPT whether AI will replace human writers, here is how it answered:

• AI is definitely changing how writing gets done. It’s already helping with brainstorming, editing, summarizing, and even generating full drafts. In some contexts—like product descriptions, SEO content, or basic news reports—it can replace certain types of writing jobs or dramatically speed them up.

• But when it comes to deep storytelling, emotionally resonant writing, humor, cultural nuance, and original thinking, humans still have a big edge. Writing is more than words on a page—it's insight, lived experience, voice, and sometimes even rebellion. That’s hard to automate.

• Also, people want human stories. There’s value in knowing someone real is behind the words.

(My part of this essay is a rewrite of one I wrote a year ago.)

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