kbear comments on [Hot take] Problems with AI prose

kbear 12 Apr 2026 16:10 UTC
7 points
4
i will read your essay in a second. triggered by this result of the linked survey:
You preferred human writing. You’re either sharply attuned to the qualities that make for great writing, or a lucky guesser.^[1]
hey, nyt, what the fuck?
out of curiosity, here’s the alternative take:
You preferred A.I.-generated writing. This doesn’t mean that A.I. is “better” at writing than humans, but it does suggest that the gap is closing.
well then! i know the line i’ll trot out if i ever go to another cocktail party!
from this quiz, i learn more about the editorial opinion of the times than my own preferences.
1. ^
  sorry, just to continue the quote because this crap can only be made up by… well...
  Maybe you also noticed that human writing often includes some clunky phrases, like this passage from Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian,” caused by the author’s aversion to punctuation: “As well ask men what they think of stone.”
  what is going on here? that was perhaps the single strongest sentence in any of the quoted passages. what are we doing? what are we doing?