This is why I still write
- Bharat Barve
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
It was a regular afternoon at the office. Someone shared a tech blog on Slack.
A colleague opened it using his AI assistant and had it summarised with key points and action items.
Out of curiosity, I asked if he does this only for long articles or when he is busy. He said he does it for almost everything. Blogs, podcasts, even YouTube videos. Many of them he watches at 1.5x speed. He has even completed certifications this way.
And this time-saving pandemic is not limited to my one colleague -- it is a general trend. And I am not calling it a pandemic because it affects my blog views. Saving time is useful. But using that saved time in a meaningful way is a different challenge altogether.
And while we are creating more time for ourselves by letting AI handle things, our attention spans are still getting shorter. So what are we really doing with this extra time?
Okay - let's save this rant for a different blog.
So, where were we? Yes, consuming content using AI. And I know, most of the articles (news, tech heavy material) these days are created using AI (some are AI assisted, while some are entirely AI generated)
So basically, we are mostly creating content using AI and consuming it using AI. Good job everyone! 👏
And that made me pause and think. What is the point of me blogging anymore?
At one point, I even considered stopping completely.
This is personal
Blogging has been one of the most satisfying hobbies for me.
To be honest, I have never chased a large audience or viral reach. My audience has always been small. But with almost every blog, someone new reaches out. They share how they connected with it in a way they could not put into words before. Or how it gave them the push to become a stronger version of themselves.
This is what I consider a win.
Taking something from everyday life and shaping it into a story that might help someone in some way. Finding meaning in the ordinary and turning it into a takeaway.
And the process itself matters just as much. Going over drafts again and again, shaping raw thoughts and experiences into something clear, has always been deeply satisfying.
It is one of the few times I find myself fully immersed, completely absorbed in the work.
The magic of art
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time -- Thomas Merton
I do use AI while writing, but only to refine sentences and proofread. The core structure and the story always come from my own daily experiences, which is what keeps it original.
I could easily automate my blog by giving an AI enough context about my writing style and themes. It would produce more frequent and polished posts than I do today.
But that would take away the joy of creating something from scratch. It would start to feel artificial and surface level, something made only to be processed and summarised by another AI. That might work for commercial content. This, however, is personal.
AI can generate an entire blog from a single line of input, but it would never know my story behind it. It is vary of the emotions that shaped it.
And that exactly is what every art is.
Any form of art carries your story. An AI might create something that looks better on the surface, but it will miss two essential pieces: personal connection and emotion.
And writing for me is therapy. It is almost like exploring a different version of myself, hidden deep into the subconscious.
Parting thoughts
AI will continue to become stronger and smarter, and people will keep using it to automate more things.
What will still remain are human stories, emotions, and lived experiences.
Stories are not meant to be rushed or consumed at 1.5x or 2x speed. They unfold slowly. Like how Murakami builds his worlds before revealing the plot.
Some things are meant to be felt in their own time. Love, empathy, and connection cannot be sped up or reduced to a summary.
AI will keep improving at creating art, whether it is paintings, music, blogs, or videos. But it will not be able to bring the same sense of satisfaction that comes from creating something yourself.
For office or commercial work, it makes sense to use AI to move faster.
But when it comes to things driven by emotion and personal fulfilment, we must not let AI intervene.
So I would urge you to keep creating things from the ground up. Keep working on your art forms.. And if you know someone who creates in any form, please support their work.
The world needs more human stories. It needs more voices that make life feel real and relatable, in a space that is becoming increasingly artificial and distracted.
Thank you for reading. If you liked this one, you can sign-up to my website to get the updates on my new blogs in your inbox. It's FREE, and it would make me happy!
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