The Procter & Gamble Company
More Than Words
Book

More Than Words

How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI

John Warner
Basic Books, 2025

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Editorial Rating

8

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  • Analytical
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In an age when AI systems can churn out text in a jiffy, the very definition of writing is under threat. Columnist John Warner makes the case that writing is more than the mere production of text: It’s a profoundly human act that requires thought and feeling. He dismantles the myth that large language models can write, arguing with clarity and conviction that they can string words together but lack understanding or intention. Warner offers a timely, erudite defense of writing as an embodied human practice that deepens insight, cultivates empathy, and strengthens connection.

Summary

Writing is much more than the production of text: It’s a uniquely human act that requires thought and feeling.

Writing isn’t merely the communication of ideas; it’s a journey of discovery, both intellectually and emotionally. During the writing process, a person wrestles with, considers, and reshapes thoughts. Often, the task of finding ways to express a thought leads to new insights and meaning. Writing also draws on experience and can be a visceral way of re-experiencing memories. For example, typing “cinnamon rolls” can make a writer salivate as they recall a specific time and place where the aroma, taste, and sight of cinnamon rolls made a sensory impression. Writing about the death of a loved one can trigger an overwhelming sense of catharsis, even several years after the death.

Due to the thought and emotion involved, the act of writing can change a writer — a potent benefit lost when people outsource writing to an AI tool. Even the most mundane writing task presents a potentially enriching opportunity to connect emotionally and intellectually with the task. For example, when a lecturer writes student recommendation letters, the teacher reviews the semester, ...

About the Author

John Warner, a writer, speaker, researcher, and consultant specializing in writing pedagogy, is the author of Why They Can’t Write and The Writer’s Practice. He produces a weekly column for the Chicago Tribune and creates the Inside Higher Ed blog and The Biblioracle Recommends newsletter.

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