A.I.: Creativity Killer or Companion?

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A.I.: Creativity Killer or Companion?

April 17, 2026,

1:09 p.m. ET

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To the Editor:

Re “

A.I. Is Already Reshaping Us,

” by Ezra Klein (column, April 5):

Mr. Klein’s thoughtful column clarifies what is at stake for those who continue to believe that A.I. is simply another tool in a long line of technological innovations. The erosion of human agency is growing, lending credibility to A.I.’s threat to human sovereignty.

One of the most important points made by Mr. Klein was the development of “skills and capacities” essential to meaningful thinking, something that requires mental labor. There is no doubt in my mind that “cognitive surrender” is antithetical to real learning and human development, which requires imagination along with sound reasoning.

Creative thinking, whether with words, symbols, images or any medium, is always a matter of refining the original thought or inspiration, although not necessarily for the sake of publication. For many of us, creative thinking and the hard work that it requires are done primarily for ourselves, for our fuller development as human beings, and if we are fortunate, also for those who can appreciate our efforts.

Paul Forte

Wakefield, R.I.

To the Editor:

Ezra Klein is right to worry that A.I. may weaken some of our habits of thought. But many critics miss what these tools are giving people who have long had to think, write and create in near-total isolation.

A.I. does not replace human love or friendship, and it is not wiser than human beings in any ultimate sense. But it can offer something many people have been starved of: sustained intellectual companionship.

Much of the criticism comes from people who already trust their own minds, can write through insecurity or have editors, peers, spouses, colleagues or professional networks around them. They may not grasp what it means to have none of that.

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