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How to Write with an LLM

769 points · 420 comments · joeriddles

  1. Eddy_Viscosity2 · · focus · HN ↗
    "LLM paragraph will register to much of your audience not as writing but as output"

    The best advice for writing for other humans is: don't use LLMs.

    If you're writing for machines, liking coding, then fine go for it. If you're writing for processes with formal highly structured content like manuals, specifications, form content, procedures, information, that sort of thing, then also ok to use LLMS. But if you're writing for a human mind to ingest and extract meaning from, then LLMs are poison.

    1. aprilthird2021 · · focus · HN ↗
      Absolutely correct. No matter what the detractors say, your writing will get glazed over and you will lose the focus of readers if your AI output sounds like all the AI output your readers have read before.
      1. combobyte · · focus · HN ↗
        Every time I'm presented with AI-generated text I feel like I'm staring into the Uncanny Valley
        1. tptacek · · focus · HN ↗
          Which is exactly what the post says, and why I say "do not accept a single word suggested by an LLM".
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