HN debate: if you start writing today, you can't prove you can write without AI
zazuke · hn · 2026-09-22
A Hacker News discussion sparked by an essay on AI writing makes a sharp point: anyone starting to write today can never verify whether they can write without AI, because there is no baseline.
The core claim is that AI-assisted writing is now so pervasive that the ability to write unaided is becoming unmeasurable and unprovable. Commenters debate skill atrophy, what writing practice even means educationally, and how to think about tool dependence in creative work.
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