Why You Care
Do you ever wonder if your most fundamental skills could become obsolete? What if the very act of writing, something we learn from childhood, becomes a forgotten art? A new paper suggests that the rapid rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI) might lead to a future where our ability to write significantly diminishes. This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about a core human capability. Your future interactions, your creativity, even your essential thinking could be impacted.
What Actually Happened
Evandro L. T. P. Cunha, a researcher, has published a paper titled “A perishable ability? The future of writing in the face of generative artificial intelligence.” The paper, submitted on August 26, 2025, explores the profound implications of large language models (LLMs) – AI systems that generate human-like text. According to the announcement, these tools are increasingly used across diverse fields, from technical documents to literary works. The research discusses the possibility that human beings might eventually lose or significantly decrease their writing ability. This potential shift comes from outsourcing text production to machines, as detailed in the blog post.
Why This Matters to You
This isn’t just an academic discussion; it has direct implications for your daily life and future career. Imagine a world where most of the text you encounter, from news articles to marketing emails, is AI-generated. How will you discern authenticity? How will your own voice stand out? The paper suggests that as AI becomes more proficient, the volume of human-produced written text could decrease. This raises questions about the value of human expression.
Consider these potential impacts on your skills:
- essential Thinking: Less writing might mean less structured thought.
- Communication: Relying on AI could dull your ability to articulate complex ideas.
- Creativity: The act of writing often sparks new ideas; outsourcing it might stifle creation.
- Personal Expression: Your unique voice could be overshadowed by generic AI output.
What’s more, the study finds that AI tools are being used across “the most diverse domains.” This means everything from your child’s homework to your company’s annual report could be touched by AI. How will this affect your personal and professional creation? The paper states, “This possibility parallels the loss of the ability to write in other moments of human history, such as during the so-called Greek Dark Ages (approx. 1200 BCE - 800 BCE).” This historical comparison offers a sobering perspective on what could be lost.
The Surprising Finding
Here’s the twist: the paper doesn’t just theorize about a future decline; it points to historical precedent. The research highlights a surprising parallel between our current AI revolution and the Greek Dark Ages. During that period, literacy and writing skills largely disappeared for centuries. This wasn’t due to system, but societal upheaval. The paper explains that this historical event suggests a human capacity for losing fundamental skills when they are no longer actively practiced or valued. It challenges the common assumption that human progress is always linear and additive. We often think new technologies only enhance our abilities. However, this study indicates they might also replace them, leading to a decay in human proficiency. The team revealed that the 2020s have seen “a very significant advance in the creation of generative artificial intelligence tools.”
What Happens Next
So, what does this mean for you in the coming years? While the paper doesn’t offer specific timelines for a widespread loss of writing ability, it suggests a gradual shift. Over the next 5-10 years, we might see a continued increase in AI-generated content. For example, imagine a future where most customer service interactions are handled by AI chatbots generating responses in real-time. Or consider content creation, where AI could draft initial versions of articles, leaving humans primarily as editors.
Industry implications are significant, with potential changes in education, publishing, and even legal professions. The documentation indicates that large language models are already generating texts in “technical texts to literary texts.” To prepare, you might consider focusing on skills that complement AI, such as essential editing, prompt engineering – the art of crafting effective instructions for AI – and developing your unique human voice. The paper encourages us to reflect on the long-term consequences of outsourcing our cognitive tasks.