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How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI
by John Warner
A veteran writing teacher makes a powerful argument that writing is a form of thinking and feeling and shows why it can't be replaced by AI.
In the age of artificial intelligence, drafting an essay is as simple as typing a prompt and pressing enter. What does this mean for the art of writing? According to longtime writing teacher John Warner: not very much.
More Than Words argues that generative AI programs like ChatGPT not only can kill the student essay but should, since these assignments don't challenge students to do the real work of writing. To Warner, writing is thinking—discovering your ideas while trying to capture them on a page—and feeling—grappling with what it fundamentally means to be human. The fact that we ask students to complete so many assignments that a machine could do is a sign that something has gone very wrong with writing instruction. More Than Words calls for us to use AI as an opportunity to reckon with how we work with words—and how all of us should rethink our relationship with writing.
"In lively prose and with many engaging personal anecdotes, [Warner] deftly explains how ChatGPT mines data for examples to imitate… anyone who loves to read and write, who teaches excellence and personal achievement, and who remains convinced that people are unique will find this book a welcome arrow in their humanist quiver." ―Kirkus Reviews
"Warner offers smart commentary on the downsides of AI, particularly its ability to bypass critical thinking, and the suggestions on adjusting to the software's increasing popularity are thought-provoking… This provides plenty of food for thought." ―Publishers Weekly
"Oh, how I've been waiting for this book! With his many years of experience as a writing teacher, John Warner is the perfect guide for helping us understand what A.I. means for writers. Now is the perfect opportunity to rethink our ideas about writing and what's so special about being a human who works with words. I stole a ton of inspiration from this book and so will you." ―Austin Kleon, New York Times bestselling author of Steal Like An Artist
"All educators should read this thoughtful analysis of the impact of generative artificial intelligence on themselves, their students, and education more generally. Warner's arguments rest on the notion that authentic writing tasks are fully intertwined with thinking, feeling, and learning. But from those foundations, he discovers deeper insights about how humans and machines interact, and why we should never allow automation to supplant the work that makes us human." ―James M. Lang, author of Distracted
This information about More Than Words was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
John Warner is a writer, speaker, researcher, and consultant. The former editor of McSweeney's Internet Tendency, he is the author of the books Why They Can't Write and The Writer's Practice. As "the Biblioracle," Warner is a weekly columnist at the Chicago Tribune and writes the newsletter The Biblioracle Recommends. He is affiliate faculty at the College of Charleston and lives in Folly Beach, South Carolina.
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