Not “Something That Looks Right,” but “The Thing Itself” — Words and Reading Stamina in the AI Era

Is the “Younger Generation’s Decline in Reading” Real?

People often talk about a supposed decline in young people's reading.
In reality, opportunities to encounter written text have likely increased thanks to the internet.
What has decreased is the opportunity to pay for books. As purchasing power falls amid broader societal impoverishment, free content that attracts audiences has proliferated.

A Former Priest and AI: One Month of Collaboration

We now live in an era where AI is used routinely.
Over the past month I asked AI to help rewrite my old dharma talks on note and published them in volume.
Was it meaningless? — I don't think so.
I rediscovered lines from my past that I had forgotten; it felt like opening a time capsule.
I am satisfied that I was able to give these words shape. Call it self-satisfaction if you like — it doesn't matter. If something isn't made concrete, no one can evaluate it. As the old 2chan saying goes: better to do the hypocritical act than to be a hypocrite who does nothing.

What Is “Looking Right”?

AI is adept at producing things that look right.
By “looking right” I mean works whose appearance and surface form are polished, but which lack depth or sincere conviction.
In this age, “plausible” text and images can be mass-produced with ease.

An Era of Declining Reading Stamina

Whether something that merely looks correct is actually useful is another matter.
In a world short on time, leisure, and money, short and easily digestible content is prized.
As a result, opportunities to engage with long-form writing decline, and people's “reading stamina” wanes.
Will humanity regress, or will a typographical Newtype — Gundam-style — emerge? I don't know.

Don’t Be Swayed, Don’t Lose Yourself

In any case, we should avoid dismissing others with a smug “kids these days,” or letting clarity-seeking blind us into making national mistakes.
We must also take care not to lose sight of who we are.

Words Are Prayer and Responsibility

AI and the internet are handy, but at best they are irresponsible yes-men.
I write from my position as a former Jōdo Shinshū (Honganji) priest, a layperson living in the world, and a person of faith.
Words are prayer and they carry responsibility.
I write about 'now' and 'this moment' as a reminder to myself.
I write to speak of the thing itself, not merely something that looks right.

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日本語版（note）：
“それっぽさ”ではなく、“それそのもの”──AI時代の言葉と読書体力