More Than Words

A veteran writing teacher makes a powerful argument that writing is a form of thinking and feeling and shows why it can’t be replaced by AI

In the age of artificial intelligence, drafting an essay is as simple as typing a prompt and pressing enter. What does this mean for the art of writing? According to longtime writing teacher John Warner: not very much.

More Than Words argues that generative AI programs like ChatGPT not only can kill the student essay but should, since these assignments don’t challenge students to do the real work of writing. To Warner, writing is thinking—discovering your ideas while trying to capture them on a page—and feeling—grappling with what it fundamentally means to be human. The fact that we ask students to complete so many assignments that a machine could do is a sign that something has gone very wrong with writing instruction. More Than Words calls for us to use AI as an opportunity to reckon with how we work with words—and how all of us should rethink our relationship with writing.

• “Oh, how I’ve been waiting for this book! With his many years of experience as a writing teacher, John Warner is the perfect guide for helping us understand what A.I. means for writers. Now is the perfect opportunity to rethink our ideas about writing and what’s so special about being a human who works with words. I stole a ton of inspiration from this book and so will you.”
  Austin Kleon, New York Times bestselling author of Steal Like An Artist
• "All educators should read this thoughtful analysis of the impact of generative artificial intelligence on themselves, their students, and education more generally. Warner’s arguments rest on the notion that authentic writing tasks are fully intertwined with thinking, feeling, and learning. But from those foundations, he discovers deeper insights about how humans and machines interact, and why we should never allow automation to supplant the work that makes us human."
  James M. Lang, author of Distracted