Sportswriting legend Red Smith once quipped that writing a column is easy: 'All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.' In 2026, the bleeding part might be over. Journalists like Alex Heath are increasingly relying on AI to draft their stories, sparking concerns among traditional writers.

Heath collaborates with AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT, training them to mimic his writing style. He claims this process is merely a replacement for tedious work, allowing him to focus on the more creative aspects of journalism. However, the ease with which he can churn out stories is raising questions about the future of human journalists.

Fortune reporter Nick Lichtenberg has penned 600 articles in less than a year using AI assistance. While his editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell insists that these stories are 'AI-assisted' rather than fully AI-generated, the sheer volume of work done so quickly is hard to ignore. Critics argue that this could lead to a loss of originality and depth in journalism.

The debate extends beyond just writers; techies from Silicon Valley have long championed the idea that pure information over human expression is preferable. Marc Andreessen, for instance, once suggested that introspection was an unwelcome development. But even AI training reflects this desire for human connection, leading some to wonder if AI tools might eventually develop a 'human' side themselves.