The debate over the boundaries of AI writing: grading by role and degree of mechanization
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Regarding the controversy over AI writing, one author proposes defining the boundary along two dimensions: what role AI plays in the writing, and how mechanical and idea-dependent the finished product is, drawing a 2x2 grading chart from one-off output that directly publishes prompts to using AI only to check typos. The author argues that when spreading ideas and changing others' minds, AI should not overly intervene in the writing process, whereas mechanical text such as Terms and Conditions is fine. The author himself does not let AI touch his own words, using it only for research, proofreading, and red-teaming to argue weaknesses.
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- Hacker News AIDrawing the Line on AI Writing
The author responds to feedback on his earlier AI writing post by proposing two dimensions for judging AI use in writing—what role AI plays in the process and how mechanical versus ideas-led the final product is—and sketches a two-by-two chart with examples ranging from one-shot prompt output to typo-catching, and from administrative emails to novels. He notes the grid misses cases like exams and politicians' statements, and says his own practice is stricter: he doesn't let AI touch his text but uses it for research, proofreading and red-teaming arguments on this blog.
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