Why I Don’t Use AI to Write — Oliver Burkeman

In this episode we sit down with Oliver Burkeman (author of Four Thousand Weeks) to talk about AI, meaning, and why the value of creative work hinges on a human consciousness behind it. We get into:

• Tools, not companions: why he avoids “relationships” with AI and treats it like a pen or a Mac
• Trust, but humans: why provenance matters even if you “can’t tell” who wrote it
• The creator’s edge: double down on the purely human rather than joining the generic race
• First drafts are the thinking: why outsourcing early or late stages erodes voice and meaning
• Scarcity gives value: why using your finite time confers worth readers can actually feel
• Artisanal future: human-made work as microbrew, not mass commodity

If you make things, Oliver’s counsel is simple: don’t outsource the part that gives the work its meaning. Keep your drafts human, use tools as tools, and build trust by letting readers feel a person on the other end. Subscribe for more candid conversations on craft, meaning, and making work that lasts.

Whoa Vol. 2

This episode is part of a limited series of ten in-depth conversations put together by sublime.app with some of our favorite thinkers and creatives where we explore how artificial intelligence is changing and challenging creative work.

👉 Get your copy of the zine: ⁠⁠https://sublime.app/whoa⁠⁠

Brought to you by Mercury

This interview is made possible by Mercury — business banking trusted by 200,000+ entrepreneurs and hands-down our favorite tool for running sublime.app.If you’re a founder or business builder of any type and haven’t tried Mercury yet, visit ⁠⁠https://mercury.com⁠⁠ today.

Disclaimer

Mercury is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust; Members FDIC.