Thousands of years and several technological revolutions later, we still use paper to think and write. In this age of AI, we still use paper, we still use keyboards which evolved from typewriters, and we still use word processors on our computers with them.
This is not a Luddite take. I think AI is here to stay. To reject AI for the wrong uses, or to prefer old technologies for the right uses, is not being a luddite.
To what degree will AI replace existing tools and technologies?
Paper was replaced by successive technologies for many uses, but not all of them. Each technology has inherent qualities. The tools we use in our work influence the output we create. We need to know what is it we want to make, then select the right tool for the job.
AI is a revolutionary technology, but its simplest tool form—chat—isn’t going to be the best interface for most tasks. This is why throwing a bunch of compute at problems, especially domain-specific problems, can feel so inefficient and frustrating. It’s why arming AI with tool calls and harnesses have been so good for achieving useful results. From the opposite end, existing software can be built upon to incorporate AI for better results too.
When the computing revolution first rolled around, some people perhaps tried to use MS-DOS as a writing tool (I’m guessing, I was five). We then built upon that to create the word processor. Likewise for AI revolution, we have to build more sophisticated, considered products and services that best leverage it, and design ways to corral and encourage productive and useful results.
We should use new tools and technology to do things that weren't possible before. We can be curious but not confined to using new technology to do things. We can mold and refine technology so that it suits our usage. We have agency in all of these choices.
Each prior technology has its own use and place.
AI will enable and replace many things, but it’ll never replace paper.
I write about doing my life's work and living up to my potential as a solopreneur: subscribe to THPC on Substack. This article was written with WriteMapper, a mind-mapping desktop app for thinking and writing available on macOS and Windows.