AP Stylebook Bans AI Anthropomorphizing; Brundage Calls It Absurd

benjamin_warner · x · 2026-09-24

The AP Stylebook issued guidance that AI systems do not think, feel, want or understand, and that writers should avoid anthropomorphizing them—instead explaining what a system does, how well it performs, who built it and who could be affected.

Former OpenAI policy lead Miles Brundage pushed back: the "do not feel" and "do not want" parts are debatable but not crazy, whereas "do not think" and "do not understand" are absurd at this point, and it is concerning that this appears to be a real account/policy. A substantive debate over AI anthropomorphizing and language norms.

Related event: AP Stylebook Bans Anthropomorphizing AI, Drawing Widespread Backlash(13 posts)→

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