AI didn’t kill writing—It exposed bad writers

AI hasn’t killed writing—it’s raised the bar by making judgment and original thinking essential.

Every few months, someone announces that AI has killed writing. What they really mean is this: AI has made it impossible to hide behind mediocre writing anymore.

For years, the internet was padded with content that looked professional but said very little. SEO-first articles. Overlong explainers. Safe, polite copy that never challenged the reader or took a position. AI didn’t break writing. It removed the camouflage.

The uncomfortable truth about “good enough” writing

Before AI, many writers survived by being adequate. They followed formulas:- Hook- List- Summary- Call to action

They optimized headlines, sprinkled keywords, and avoided saying anything too specific—or too risky. And it worked. Until it didn’t.

Now, AI can produce that same level of writing in seconds. If your value as a writer was structure alone, AI replaced you overnight. If your value was thinking, you’re more valuable than ever.

What AI is actually bad at (and always will be)

AI can generate language. It cannot generate judgment.

It doesn’t know: What not to say Which insight actually matters When a sentence needs to break the rules to land emotionally

Great writing isn’t about assembling words correctly. It’s about decisions.

What to emphasize. What to cut. What to challenge. What to leave implied.

These decisions come from experience, taste, and intent—not the probability that AI can imitate.

Why editors are raising the bar (quietly)

Editors aren’t rejecting AI-assisted writing because it uses AI. They’re rejecting it because it feels: Bloodless Over-explained Afraid of being wrong

AI content tends to flatten ideas into neutrality. Editors want angle, not average.

The irony? AI is making editors more selective, not less. If an article doesn’t teach them something, surprise them, or sharpen their thinking, it’s dead on arrival.

The new skill writers must develop

The most important writing skill in 2025 isn’t speed. It’s discernment.

Knowing:

• Which idea is worth expanding

• Which paragraph weakens the piece

• Which sentence sounds “fine” but should be deleted

Writers who thrive now use AI like a rough draft partner—not a ghostwriter.

Great writers: Rewrite aggressively Inject lived insight Remove generic phrasing without mercy

AI can help you get started. Only you can decide where to go.

Writing has returned to its core purpose

Strip away tools, platforms, and algorithms, and writing still comes down to one thing: Making someone see something differently than they did before.

If your writing does that, it survives any technological shift.If it doesn’t, no tool can save it.

That's why I say that AI didn’t end writing careers. It ended unexamined ones.

And honestly? That’s healthy.

Anthony Neal Macri writes about marketing, strategy, and clarity in the age of automation. His work focuses on helping ideas stand out when “good enough” is no longer enough.