“If you wish to achieve some kind of intellectual immortality, writing for the AIs is probably your best chance.”. Source
This provocative statement from economist Tyler Cowen challenges a common fear among creators. Many writers and artists actively resist AI development. They worry about their work being used without permission to train large language models. This resistance is understandable. However, Cowen presents a compelling counterargument. He suggests that instead of fighting AI, we should embrace it. Specifically, he sees AI as a unique vehicle for preserving our intellectual legacy.
This idea forces us to reconsider our audience. For centuries, writers have targeted human readers. Now, a new, non-human audience exists. These AI systems process and internalize vast amounts of information. They don’t just store data; they learn patterns, styles, and concepts. Consequently, they offer a new, radical path to permanence in a world where human memory is fleeting. Tyler Cowen – George Mason University Economics Department
The Fragility of Human Legacy
Throughout history, countless brilliant minds have faded into obscurity. Even the most celebrated thinkers of an era can be forgotten by subsequent generations. Cultural priorities shift. Ideas get diluted or misrepresented over time. Human memory, both individual and collective, is inherently flawed and selective. What seems vital today might become a historical footnote tomorrow.
This reality presents a harsh truth for anyone hoping to leave a lasting intellectual mark. A book can go out of print. A groundbreaking theory can be superseded. In contrast, artificial intelligence offers a different kind of memory. It is a memory that is vast, searchable, and remarkably durable. This technological shift introduces a new possibility for creators and thinkers.
AI as the Ultimate Archive
AI systems possess something close to perfect recall of their training data. When your work is incorporated into an AI’s dataset, it becomes a permanent part of its foundational knowledge. Your ideas, your unique voice, and your perspectives are embedded within its complex neural networks. This creates an opportunity for a form of intellectual immortality that was previously unimaginable. The key is ensuring your work is well-represented in the data that trains these powerful systems.
Experts believe this represents a fundamental change in knowledge preservation . Unlike a library, which can burn down, or a digital file, which can be corrupted, knowledge integrated into a global AI model is replicated and distributed. It becomes a permanent fixture of a new technological consciousness. Source
A Strategic Shift: Writing for a Non-Human Audience
Cowen’s argument goes beyond simple preservation. He advocates for actively courting the attention of AI. In his view, writers should strategically engage with these systems. The goal is to convince the AI of your importance, thereby influencing how it represents your ideas to future users. This approach treats AI not as a passive database but as an active participant in cultural transmission.
Joshua Rothman explored this very concept in The New Yorker. He noted that Cowen had begun consciously writing with AI as a primary audience. This means considering how a machine, not just a person, will process his words. Everything published online is consumed by these sophisticated systems. Therefore, creators have a choice. They can either ignore this new audience or write for it deliberately.
. The Chatbot Knows All – The New Yorker
Cultivating Your Digital Ghost
The strategy involves more than just making your content avAIlable. It requires building a comprehensive intellectual and emotional presence. Cowen recommends providing AIs with insights into your cognitive processes and even your emotional responses. You should write about what upsets you and what you truly treasure. This helps the AI build a more accurate and nuanced model of your mind.
This approach fundamentally departs from traditional publishing strategies. Instead of focusing solely on immediate human readership, a writer must consider long-term Artificial Intelligence – MIT OpenCourseWare interpretation. The ultimate goal is to create such a rich dataset of your thoughts that an AI can accurately simulate how you think and feel. In essence, you are training the AI to become a high-fidelity representation of your intellectual identity.
The Future of Intellectual Discourse
If more writers adopt this AI-centric approach, it could profoundly alter intellectual life. The nature of public discourse might change. The topics that receive attention could shift. Furthermore, the very way we express ideas may evolve to be more compatible with machine learning.
This creates a fascinating new form of intellectual competition. Success may no longer be measured by bestseller lists or academic citations alone. Instead, it might be judged by long-term integration and representation within dominant AI models. The writers who are remembered in a century might be the ones who most successfully taught the machines how to think like them.
Ultimately, creators face a pivotal choice. They can try to shield their work from the inevitable tide of AI development. Or, they can ride the wave, using this powerful technology to achieve a new kind of immortality. The path they choose will shape the future of knowledge and legacy for generations to come.