Last week, Andrew wrote about a New York Times quiz that asked readers whether they preferred passages written by human authors or AI. Here’s what you had to say about “readable” writing:
Matt B. wrote: “When I’m reading an instruction manual or a textbook, I want ‘clean, legible, readable writing.’ I don’t read a lot of highbrow literature. I mostly read mystery novels. I want them to be readable, too, but I also want to be able to hear and feel the author’s distinct voice. An AI might be able to replicate that now to some degree. It might even be able to trick me into thinking it’s the genuine article, but I don’t want to be tricked. I want to value the work that the author put into it. I like watching interviews with the author and getting to know where they’re coming from. It gives me a deeper understanding of what they’re writing.”
Apollo B. wrote: “There’s an important topic which seems to be largely left out of conversations about AI writing: human connection. When I first read several of the stories in Sherwood Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio I cried because I knew that another human had understood things that I feel, things that I had been unable or unwilling to communicate to anyone and which I felt strange and broken because of. I have had similar experiences many times with reading, where I am suddenly aware of my connection to the rest of humanity. AI could certainly prompt those feelings but if I found out the writing was by AI I would feel very hollow, like that connection didn’t exist and I was again alone in the universe.”
Chauncey M. wrote: “Wait! I want to know what ‘difficult’ book Andrew plans to read during this parental leave. And is he looking for suggestions? Three books I put off until midlife—and then found clear as running water and satisfying as Granny’s fried chicken: The Brothers Karamazov, The Golden Notebook, and The Iliad (either the Fitzgerald or the Alexander translations—I’ve since read both with joy). Good reading! And happy parenting!”
We’ll have to let Andrew answer this one! Until next week.
P.S., if a friend sent you this newsletter and you want to sign up, the place to do it is npr.org/newsletter/books. :)
| 
