In a world where generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini & Chatsonic exist and look as though their text production capacities will increase, it is worth reflecting on what is the purpose of learning how to write. Basically, if Chat GPT can write an essay or email for you, why is worth learning how to do yourself?

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Here at Turtle and elephant, we think there are at least the following reasons people need to learn how to write in this environment:

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1. Writing is essentially an exercise in thinking. It is a process to order your thoughts, articulate, weigh and evidence what you think about something and why. Learning a musical instrument gives you the ability to experience the joy in playing it, learning a sport does the same. Thinking and reasoning clearly and logically requires similar discipline.

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2. It helps us to communicate more clearly and accurately when we are speaking- whether it is giving a presentation or having a discussion with a friend, being able to find the right words and communicate them in an order and manner the other person understands helps us to be able to articulate how we see a situation, event or the world more widely.

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3. If you are able to write and put together accurate evidence for your own arguments and thoughts, you are more likely to be able to recognise when arguments you read, see and hear are well evidenced and logical. Being able to judiciously and consistently understand what information is trustworthy to build a sound understanding of their reality is one of the most important challenges misuse of generative AI requires young people to face.

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Beyond this, if you or your children do want to use generative AI in a way that it remains an expression of yourself and your thought, being able to write yourself means you can use generative AI as one of many tools, rather than outsource your individual expression. Then generative AI can be a tool that can improve the quality of our communication, even as previous inventions of the printing press, open source information and spellcheck have.

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