Summary of Key Points
This article discusses how the use of AI in writing has gone from a prediction to a reality. While AI has made text less valuable, it has also elevated “thought” to a more precious commodity. AI can produce large quantities of text quickly, transforming it from a “crystal of art” into a cheap material. The publishing industry faces challenges in distinguishing the authenticity of manuscripts due to the blurred boundaries brought about by AI’s involvement. In the future, the value of human creators will lie in their unique thoughts, emotional experiences, and creative frameworks that AI cannot replicate. In short: Text loses its value; thought lives on.
1. AI Turns Text from “Artwork” into “Cheap Material”
In the past, text was a product of great effort and emotion—each sentence in works like Yu Guangzhong’s essays carried historical depth and personal experience, making every word precious. However, with the advent of AI, this has changed. AI can instantly generate text that fits popular tastes, with more accurate grammar and a richer vocabulary than average authors, and it can produce manuscripts at lightning speed.
The result? Text has become like mass-produced goods—routinely structured and empty in rhetoric (such as motivational articles with clichéd slogans), and readers can easily detect the “AI presence.” Even writers like Hao Jingfang use AI to draft children’s science fiction stories, treating text as a low-cost filler. Nowadays, someone who can only write smooth sentences and follow standard structures has no advantage over AI, as these tasks are performed faster and better by machines, squeezing the premium value of human-written text.
2. The Publishing Industry Struggles: Distinguishing between AI-Generated Manuscripts
It’s relatively easy to detect if images or videos were altered by AI, but text is abstract, making it difficult to determine whether a manuscript was written by a human or refined by AI. Whether the work was originally created by the author or merely polished by AI is impossible to discern with the naked eye.
This poses significant problems for the publishing industry. Legal and industry standards have not kept up, and publishers must manually remove AI-generated content when authors hide their use of AI, fearing legal issues (like dealing with a “time bomb”). The once-unquestioned premise that all works are 100% human-created is now hard to prove. The traditional trust chain of “author-editor-reader” has been broken, and blocking AI is ineffective; the focus must shift to whether the content itself holds value.
3. Thought Is the Most Valuable: AI Reflects, but Humans Bring True Creativity
AI is essentially a “recorder” that repeats existing knowledge, appearing intelligent but lacking substance. For example, AI cannot convey the pain of a childhood injury or memories of a familiar neighborhood, nor can it generate unique visions for the future. These specific experiences, emotions, and explorations are beyond AI’s ability to learn, just like mutations in biological evolution—only humans can bring something new.
Therefore, the future of creation will involve a clear division of labor between AI and humans: AI will handle routine, repetitive tasks (such as compiling textbooks, correcting grammar, writing lesson plans), while humans will focus on creating story frameworks, infusing emotions, and proposing unique perspectives. AI acts as a “touchstone,” eliminating mediocre content that merely follows templates and forcing creators to question their own uniqueness.
4. Creators Need to Transform: Stop Blaming AI and Become “Thought Architects”
In the face of AI, creators and editors should not angrily accuse technology but must adapt their roles. Those who once made a living from writing skills must now become “think architects” and “judges of value.”
- Hand over inefficient, repetitive tasks (such as padding out texts or correcting grammar) to AI.
- Focus on the irreplaceable aspects of creation: designing unique stories, transforming personal experiences into resonant content, and proposing novel ideas.
If your work is easily replaced by AI, it was probably mediocre in the first place. If your thoughts are truly unique, AI can actually save you time, allowing you to concentrate on the core creativity.
In Conclusion
AI has made text less valuable, but humanity’s unique understanding of the world, genuine emotions, and creative ideas will become more precious than ever. This is not the end of literature; rather, it marks the beginning of true creation.
Text is dead; thought lives on.