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July 13, 2024 - ai augmented cognition chatbots chatgpt claude cognition communication education language language precision pedagogy word choice word limit
In a world where AI can write essays, what is the writer’s role–or student or thinker for that matter?
The answer lies in an intriguing asymmetry: humans excel at grasping reality but struggle to articulate it, while AI processes language fluently yet falters in staying grounded in reality. This inverse relationship is the core complement between current AI and human cognition.
A simple approach brings out the gains: Say more with fewer words. Insisting on brief, clear communications forces us to combine human insight with AI’s linguistic prowess, ushering in a new clarity between words and worlds.
Can you and a chatbot distill two pages into half? Reducing word count organically pushes humans to consider what truly matters about the reality behind an idea. AI can reduce words as long as the truth is an average of what’s said. Human strength lies in identifying inconsistencies between words and truth. You be the eyes, let AI be the words.
This approach forges a productive human-machine relationship, improves communication, preserves educational roles, and empowers critical thinking. It’s a win-win-win-win.
By constraining our words, we force direct engagement with reality. We distill complex ideas to their essence, a task that remains distinctly human. Each word must carry maximum semantic weight, demanding a precision that challenges AI. We’re not competing with AI in volume, but in the density and relevance of our insights.
In embracing brevity, we cultivate a form of expression that amplifies our unique cognitive strengths. It’s a new frontier in human-AI collaboration, where AI’s help licenses humans to think more critically than they’ve had the energy or time to do.
It’s intentional that my essays are so brief. In this series, I aim for under 200 words. 400 words is optimal to capture an idea and its primary complexities. Longer writing should be proportional to the number of ideas described, with each carefully evaluated for necessity.