In today’s fast-paced digital world, artificial intelligence has entered every aspect of life and writing is no exception. What was once considered a skill developed over years of learning and practice is now being reduced to a few clicks and commands. With the arrival of AI writing tools, people who have never engaged seriously with language or expression and who could not write even a single coherent paragraph on their own are suddenly calling themselves writers.
It is astonishing how the definition of a writer has changed. In earlier times, writing required effort, understanding and a strong relationship with language. It was not just about grammar or spelling. It was about developing a voice, exploring thoughts and creating something meaningful. Today all it takes is access to an AI tool and within seconds a blog post, article, story or even a poem is ready to publish. What is more troubling is that such content is often passed off as original or human. But where is the human in that?
AI has made it dangerously easy to bypass the learning curve, the sleepless nights, the rejections and the rewrites. These were once essential parts of a writer’s journey. Now anyone with an internet connection can produce well-structured content without understanding the subject, the basics of language or the ethics of authorship. Many such individuals are even being celebrated for their so-called writing.
I clearly remember when I was studying in class 8. From my early days I had the urge to write. I was fascinated by how words could shape opinions, tell stories and preserve history. One day I decided that I wanted to contribute to the famous newspaper of the Valley. The topic I chose was dear to my heart. I wanted to write about Imam Bukhari (R.A), the revered compiler of Sahih Bukhari, one of the most authentic books of Hadith.
There was one particular story about Imam Bukhari that stayed with me. According to his biography, Imam Bukhari once traveled to meet a man who was known for narrating Hadith. But when he reached the man’s home he saw something that changed everything. The man was trying to trick his horse by pretending he had fodder in his lap. In reality there was nothing. Imam Bukhari turned away immediately. He believed that if a man could lie to an animal he could not be trusted with the words of the Prophet (PBUH). That single moment spoke volumes about integrity and character. I found it deeply powerful and I wanted to share it with others.
But writing this in English was not easy. I remember sitting with a notebook trying to find the right words. I was confused and frustrated. Translating such a rich story full of cultural and religious meaning felt impossible. That is when I turned to my English teacher, Late Mohammad Qasim Malik (May Allah grant mercy on him). He was kind and understanding. He took the time to listen to the story and then helped me compose the paragraph in proper English. I still remember how carefully he chose each word to preserve the meaning. It was a slow and difficult process. But that struggle was important. It taught me patience, respect for language and the joy of learning.
Later during my M.Tech studies I faced another big writing challenge. It was time for our thesis and both my friend and I struggled day and night to prepare it with less than 5 percent plagiarism, as required by Urkund and Turnitin. We went from pillar to post asking for guidance, revising again and again and making sure every reference was correctly cited. After six months of hard work we finally submitted it. The same was true for our research publications. Every sentence was carefully written. Every idea had to be our own. Every step in the process mattered. It was exhausting but it felt real and rewarding.
Now things are different. Every ‘lallupanju’ is suddenly a writer. People who have never studied language, never written a serious piece and never faced the challenge of expressing difficult ideas are publishing content. Many of them do not even know how to write a proper paragraph. Yet with the help of AI they are producing articles, stories and even books. The quality may look good at first glance but the soul is missing.
Still, there are ways to spot AI-generated content. AI often lacks emotion, personal memory and real insight. The writing might be clean but it feels shallow. There are no real-life experiences behind it. Thankfully, there are also many tools that help detect AI writing. Platforms like GPTZero, Turnitin’s AI detector and other services are helping educators and publishers identify machine-generated work. These tools look for patterns and structures that do not match how humans usually write.
This does not mean that AI is completely bad. It has value when used wisely. It can help with grammar, suggest better wording or assist in brainstorming. But it should not replace the writer. It should only support the writing process. The joy of learning, the pride of overcoming a challenge and the satisfaction of expressing your own thoughts cannot come from a machine.
As someone who has walked the long and often painful road of learning to write, I feel deeply concerned about where we are headed. The true meaning of writing is being lost. It is no longer about thought, effort and expression. It is becoming a quick task with no soul. We must protect the craft and remind ourselves that writing is not just about getting the words right. It is about saying something that matters. And that kind of writing can only come from a human being.
(Author has done M. Tech in Infrastructure Development & Management Hon’s. He is a research scholar, columnist and planning and project contracts expert and hails from Anantnag, J&K)
