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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. qarl · · focus · HN ↗
      > don't use LLMs

      Don't you think they're useful as fact checkers?

      1. cheesecakegood · · focus · HN ↗
        Personally I think every single medium to long form piece of writing should go through an LLM grammar check at the minimum (they are great at catching stuff like correcting “reign in” to “rein in”, not to mention their/they’re and so on) although I don’t think they generally have the self control to make the corrections themselves without screwing stuff up.

        I can see being lazy and skipping it, but refusing to use them even for more minimal advice purposes seems crazy to me.

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