Why AI Isn’t Good at Writing Essays
Published: March 12, 2025
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way in recent years, revolutionizing many industries. From automating tasks to generating creative content, AI is becoming an indispensable tool. However, when it comes to writing essays, AI isn’t as reliable as it may seem. Despite its remarkable ability to produce text, there are several factors that contribute to why AI isn’t good at writing essays. In this article, we’ll explore the key reasons behind AI’s struggles in crafting high-quality, thoughtful essays that meet the standards of human writing.
1. Lack of Deep Understanding
One of the biggest challenges AI faces when writing essays is its lack of deep understanding. While AI can generate text based on patterns in data, it doesn’t “understand” the information the way humans do. For example, when you write an essay, you are drawing on your own knowledge, experiences, and critical thinking. You can make connections between different ideas, explain complex concepts clearly, and even express your personal opinion.
AI, on the other hand, doesn’t have real-life experiences or personal knowledge. It’s limited to the data it’s been trained on. This means that AI can’t provide insights in the same way humans can. It might write something that sounds good, but it won’t have the depth or originality that comes from a genuine understanding of the topic.
2. Lack of Creativity
Essays, especially in fields like literature or philosophy, often require a high level of creativity. Writers need to form new arguments, propose unique ideas, and explore topics from different perspectives. This creative process is something that AI struggles with.
While AI can mimic creative writing based on patterns it has learned, it doesn’t truly create new ideas. It can rearrange existing ideas or combine them in ways that make sense based on previous examples, but it lacks the ability to “think outside the box.” As a result, AI-generated essays tend to be predictable and lack the spark of originality that human writers bring to their work.
Example: If you ask AI to write an essay about the future of technology, it might generate a well-written piece summarizing common predictions. But it likely won’t introduce a groundbreaking idea or a fresh perspective that hasn’t already been discussed by others.
3. Lack of Critical Thinking
Essays often require critical thinking, analyzing different perspectives, weighing evidence, and forming a reasoned conclusion. This process involves more than just stringing words together; it requires a deeper level of reasoning that AI simply doesn’t possess. AI can certainly generate sentences that sound logical, but it can’t engage in complex reasoning like humans can.
For instance, when writing an essay about climate change, a human writer would examine different viewpoints, consider data, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of various arguments. AI, however, can only present information it’s been trained on and can’t evaluate or critique the validity of that information.
4. Inability to Follow Specific Instructions
Another reason AI isn’t great at writing essays is its struggle to follow very specific instructions. Essays often require authenticity to certain formats, tones, or guidelines. For example, you might need an essay to be formal, objective, and free from bias. AI doesn’t always understand or follow these nuanced instructions perfectly.
It may use a casual tone when you want formality or include irrelevant information because it doesn’t fully understand the purpose of the essay. Unlike a human writer, who can adapt and adjust based on feedback, AI doesn’t have the flexibility to tweak its output in real-time.
Example: If you tell an AI to write an essay about the importance of education in a formal, academic tone, the result might still include informal phrases or miss the mark in terms of structure. It can sound like an essay, but it might not have the level of polish you expect.
5. Limited Research and Evidence
A strong essay typically relies on solid research and evidence to support arguments. AI can pull information from a vast amount of sources, but it doesn’t truly “research” in the way humans do. It’s not capable of understanding the credibility of different sources or assessing the quality of the information it generates.
Moreover, while AI can pull from a large database, it often lacks the ability to judge whether the information is current, accurate, or relevant. It might cite outdated sources or overlook more reliable, lesser-known research that would strengthen an essay.
Example: If you were writing an essay on the effects of social media on mental health, you’d likely include up-to-date studies and research from credible sources. AI, however, might provide outdated or irrelevant studies that don’t support your argument as well as more recent data could.
6. Lack of Personal Voice or Style
Each writer has a unique voice and writing style. Some prefer a formal tone, while others may use humor or a conversational style. Essays often reflect the writer’s personal perspective, and this adds value to the work. AI, however, struggles to develop a personal voice.
AI-generated essays tend to sound robotic or generic. Even when AI can mimic a certain style, it doesn’t truly “own” that style. It’s just following patterns it has been trained on. This lack of personality makes AI essays feel flat, lacking the charm or unique flair that a human writer can bring.
Example: If you read an essay written by a human writer, you might notice specific quirks or patterns in their writing, perhaps a preference for certain words or phrases. AI, on the other hand, won’t have these typical touches, making its writing feel impersonal.
7. Struggles with Ambiguity
Many essay topics, especially in the humanities, are complex and contain a degree of ambiguity. Writers often need to interpret concepts, weigh competing ideas, and make sense of contradictions. AI, however, struggles with ambiguity and often defaults to the most common or safe interpretation of a topic.
For instance, an essay about the nature of free will might require an in-depth exploration of different philosophical perspectives. AI can summarize different viewpoints but may fail to explore the nuances or contradictions within these theories.
8. Repetition and Lack of Cohesion
Another problem with AI-generated essays is repetition. Because AI works by drawing on a large pool of data and patterns, it may repeat phrases, ideas, or even entire sections without realizing it. This repetition can make essays sound redundant and less engaging.
Additionally, AI might struggle with essay structure. While it can create a sequence of paragraphs, it may not always maintain logical consistency between them. Transitions between ideas may feel rapid, and the flow of the essay may be disjointed.
Example: If you ask AI to write an essay about the causes of the American Revolution, it might repeat similar points in different sections, making the essay feel like it’s saying the same thing over and over, instead of building a cohesive argument.
9. Ethical and Legal Concerns
There are also ethical and legal concerns when it comes to AI writing essays. AI often pulls from existing content on the internet, which can lead to unintentional plagiarism. While AI tools are getting better at generating unique content, it can still produce work that closely resembles existing material.
Additionally, using AI to write essays raises questions about academic integrity. If students rely on AI-generated essays, they may not fully develop their own writing skills or critical thinking abilities.
Conclusion
While AI has made great strides in content generation, it still isn’t perfect when it comes to writing essays. The lack of deep understanding, creativity, critical thinking, and personal style makes it difficult for AI to produce essays that are truly high-quality and thought-provoking. While AI can help with basic tasks like summarizing information or generating ideas, it doesn’t yet have the ability to craft essays that require nuanced thought, originality, and a personal touch.
If you’re looking to write a meaningful, engaging essay, it’s still best to rely on your own skills and insights. AI can be a helpful tool, but it’s not quite ready to replace human writers just yet.
