AI writing doesn't have to suck

In a previous post, I said writing with AI sucks.

That was true. At the time.

It felt sterile. Over-structured. Corporate LinkedIn energy. Every sentence sounded like it was filtered through HR and legal. You could smell the template.

But model quality has improved a lot. And I need to admit something:

AI writing does not suck anymore.

The Big Shift: Voice

The difference is not raw intelligence. It is voice control.

Older models could generate grammatically correct text. Cool. So can a bored intern.

What they could not do was match tone. You would ask for something casual and get MBA whitepaper. Ask for sharp and get motivational poster. Ask for direct and get TED Talk.

Now? You can dial in tone with precision.

You want:

• Reddit thread energy
• Twitter dunk style
• Brutally pragmatic
• Dry and analytical
• Story-driven and reflective

It can do that. And it can do it consistently.

That changes everything.

Because writing is not just information. It is vibe. It is rhythm. It is emotional texture. If the voice is wrong, the message dies.

The new models can mirror how you actually want to read. That makes them usable.

But Let’s Be Clear: AI Still Can’t Think For You

Here is the line most people blur:

AI can write.

AI cannot think for you.

It can structure.

It can rewrite.

It can compress.

It can expand.

It can improve clarity.

But it cannot generate lived experience.

It cannot generate conviction.

It cannot generate scars.

If your ideas are shallow, AI will just polish shallow ideas.

If your takes are generic, AI will make them beautifully generic.

The raw material still has to be yours:

• Your experiences
• Your failures
• Your weird opinions
• Your unpopular takes
• Your domain knowledge
• Your patterns you noticed after years in the trenches

That is the irreplaceable part.

AI is a multiplier. If you are a 2/10 thinker, it makes you a cleaner 2/10. If you are a 7/10 thinker, it helps you publish like a machine.

The Real Workflow

The right way to use AI for writing is not:

“Write a blog post about productivity.”

That produces what is so called AI slop.

The right way is:

1. Dump your raw thoughts. Unfiltered.
2. Write the messy outline.
3. Add specific stories.
4. Add the uncomfortable opinions.

Then use AI to:

• sharpen structure
• remove fluff
• fix awkward phrasing
• adjust tone
• tighten arguments

You are still the brain.

AI is the editor on steroids.

The Ego Problem

Some people hate this because they think using AI is “cheating.”

It is not.

Nobody complains that:

• You use Grammarly.
• You use spell check.
• You use Google.
• You use Stack Overflow.

This is just a stronger tool.

The only people who should be worried are those who relied purely on surface-level writing skills without depth. If your competitive advantage was “I can structure sentences slightly better than average” that edge is gone.

The new advantage is:

• clarity of thought
• depth of experience
• originality of ideas
• speed of iteration

AI amplifies those. It does not replace them.

The Bottom Line

I was wrong when I said writing with AI sucks.

Writing with bad models sucked.

Writing without original thought still sucks.

But writing with strong models + strong thinking?

That is unfair leverage.

If you have real ideas, AI lets you publish them faster, cleaner, and in exactly the tone that resonates with your audience.

Just do not outsource your brain.

That part is still on you.