Author Calls AI a Bad First Draft as Herbert Lin Likens It to a Palm Reader on May 13
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · May 22
Author Calls AI a Bad First Draft as Herbert Lin Likens It to a Palm Reader on May 13
2 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · May 22
A reader responding to Herbert Lin’s May 13 essay argued AI produces a "first draft"—and a bad one—rather than genuine writing.
Herbert Lin had compared AI to a palm reader, saying chatbots mainly reflect users back to themselves and work only with what they are given.
The response sharpened that analogy by saying writers, unlike engineers, are trained to detect the weakness in such draft-like output.
The exchange appeared in a May 22 Washington Post opinion roundup that also touched on the Iran war and Kash Patel, placing AI’s limits in a broader reader debate.
As AI masters writing, will we value the human author's touch or just the final polished product?
Can we engineer genuine creativity into AI, or will it forever remain a sophisticated mimic?