Most Writers Now Use AI, but Distrust It Even for Their Own Work

A new survey from Medium reveals a paradox in the writing community: most writers now use AI tools, yet they remain deeply skeptical of the technology, even when they use it themselves.

An online Harris Poll survey of 1,175 American writers, conducted for Medium from August 12-17, found that 71% of respondents use AI in some capacity in their writing. However, the survey also uncovered significant hesitation. Among writers who used AI in the last three months, 60% admitted to distrusting the work of AI even when they had produced it themselves. Distrust climbed to 69% when considering AI writing produced by other writers.

The gap between usage and trust reflects how writers are approaching AI tools. Rather than relying on AI to generate finished pieces, most writers use these tools to refine and polish their work. Of those using AI writing assistants, 33% stated that they used the tools to edit for grammar, clarity, or tone. Another 26% used AI for generating topic ideas, 20% used it as a mode of feedback on pre-existing writing, and 19% used it to aid with generating a first draft.

Writers reported measurable benefits from AI integration. Among AI users, 41% claimed that the tools aided them in producing stronger drafts, and 30% felt that it helped them increase their willingness to experiment with their craft. Additionally, 28% noted that AI tools helped them cut down on time lost during the production of their work, while 27% felt that these tools had helped them gain confidence in their published work.

Despite these advantages, skepticism extends beyond their own work. Three-quarters of writers believe that at least some of the writing they read is generated by AI, while a third felt that most of what they read is the product of AI. This concern about authenticity marks a noticeable shift in how writers approach media.

The survey also found that AI use is rising. A year ago, writing assistants were used by 19% of respondents, whereas this year's survey found that 24% of the respondents used them. AI writing assistants were the only tool in the survey with rising use.

The overall impact on writers' experience is mixed. The study found that 24% of respondents said AI has altered their style or voice. Use of AI in writing has caused 19% of writers to feel more pressure to produce more writing, and 14% felt that it lowered their confidence in their own ideas or voice. Overall, 88% of AI users stated that the tools affected their process in some form, good or bad.

Medium's Scott Lamb interpreted the results as evidence against the idea that AI is pushing out the author. Of the surveyed group, 12% worked as professional writers seeking to earn a living through their writing, while the remaining respondents wrote primarily for themselves as an outlet of self-expression. The majority of respondents described still feeling passionate about their work as writers.

Over 75% of respondents stated that they continue to like or love writing, despite the introduction of AI into the writing world, with only 8% feeling more negatively about it. Approximately half of the surveyed writers found that their writing skills have improved this year.