Why AI Shouldn't Replace the Rough Draft

Key points

A recent study found that, by engaging in richer thought patterns, drawing boosts memory more than writing.

This suggests that using AI to generate one's writing risks skipping the messy phase that deepens thinking.

Keeping humans in the “making” stages of creativity preserves the process that makes ideas stick.

I often think of writing as a fairly straightforward act. For me, it's a process of transfer and organization—a way to get ideas out of my head and onto the page.

But fascinating research suggests that how we externalize thought can change the very nature of the thoughts themselves, along with how well we remember them. That got me thinking—and writing.

This study, published in Consciousness and Cognition , compared two simple tasks that included writing words