There was a time, not long ago, when unemployed graduates in Kenya started calling themselves content writers. It was the new thing. The West quickly caught on and decided that if you wanted cheap but decent copy, you went to Kenya. Just like virtual assistants became synonymous with the Philippines, online articles became a Kenyan export. The demand exploded.
I got in. Wrote hundreds of articles. By the end of 2021, I had passed six hundred pieces. I have no idea where they went. Some strange corner of the internet, probably promoting dental implants or “ten reasons to drink green tea.” My rent was paid. That was all that mattered. Then I pivoted.
At the start of 2022, I dropped content writing and picked up legal research. It was tougher, more interesting, and had some actual connection to my career. It scratched an itch that clickbait never could. Two years later, I still believe it was the best decision I made. My brain, for once, felt awake.
Then came AI. Suddenly everyone had a robot writing buddy. Writers panicked. Real writers felt drowned out. And those who had only ever banged metal bins in rhythm started calling themselves composers. Let us address this mess.
AI’s Writing Is a Factory-Scented Knockoff
There is a fantasy floating around that AI can take a vague idea and spin it into gold. Just toss it a prompt, sit back, and watch it churn out something Pulitzer-worthy. That fantasy is nonsense. AI writes like it is on autopilot. Everything is black and white, emotionless, and clunky. It is writing without a pulse. It cannot persuade. It does not play with words. It does not seduce you through the page or slap you across the face with a beautiful line.
It never makes anyone say, “That hit me.” It cannot build tension. It cannot land a punchline. And it certainly cannot carry the weight of something personal. It is writing stripped of everything that makes writing matter. People pretend this is acceptable because it is convenient. But convenient food still tastes like cardboard if you have had a proper meal before.
What a Good Writer Actually Does
Let us talk about John Green. The man is a monster of the craft. When he writes, he takes your insides and twists them. You feel things you did not expect to feel. You see ideas in a way you had never considered. Fiction or nonfiction, it does not matter. He pulls you in and does not let go. It is not just the story. It is the phrasing. The rhythm. The way he uses words not just as a tool, but as a scalpel. His writing leaves you thinking about things for weeks. His books become part of your bloodstream. That is what real writing does.
So when I say that AI-generated articles are rubbish, I am not speaking from a place of bitterness. I am speaking from the standard that real writers work to reach. The level where words are not just functional, they are alive.
The Literary Critic Knows
Now, some people will argue that good writing is subjective. That is incorrect. Liking a story is subjective. Admiring the craft is not. You may hate Paper Towns because the story annoys you. That is fair. But you cannot argue that the writing itself is poor. A trained reader knows the difference between disliking content and recognising technique.
Bad writing does not suddenly become good just because someone on the internet cannot tell the difference.
Will Writers Disappear?
AI will absolutely change how writing works. It already has. Whether you use it or not, its presence affects the game.
But good writing will survive. There will always be readers with good taste. As long as someone craves thought-provoking, beautifully constructed writing, someone else will have to write it. If you believe your AI article is brilliant, that says more about your standards than it does about the tool. If you cannot tell the difference, you probably never valued good writing in the first place.
Where It All Ends
AI may help some people feel like writers. But it cannot connect with readers. It cannot speak to grief or joy or fear in a way that makes someone feel seen. And that is the only thing good writing ever really does. Readers are picky. They can smell nonsense from a mile away. And right now, most AI-generated content stinks.
PS- Reviewing this in 2025 July and AI can pass off really good writing with good prompts! oops!