Reading in times of AI

By: Mohammad Sahir

In March 2009, Amazon launched the Kindle app, and it was widely seen as the beginning of the end for physical books. According to this view, readers would abandon printed pages and embrace the screens of their smartphones. Yet books survived that challenge. However, books now face a new bogeyman in the form of code that has emerged to test their relevance: Artificial Intelligence.

The primary advantage of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude lies in their ability to process enormous amounts of information, summarize it, organize it according to user preferences, and present it in a concise format. This is particularly appealing in an age when many people prefer to skim rather than engage deeply with a text. This tendency is closely linked to diminishing attention spans driven by social media. Cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf, through her “Shallowing Hypothesis,” argues that a brain trained primarily for scrolling constantly seeks quick dopamine rewards, resulting in the weakening of deep-reading circuits.

A common misconception is that books exist solely to provide information. While information is certainly one of their functions, it is far from their only purpose. Reading fosters deep thinking, exposes readers to diverse perspectives, and strengthens critical reasoning. Through the process of transforming written symbols into vivid mental images, readers develop imagination and learn to ask better questions. If society becomes overly dependent on AI tools while neglecting the habit of reading, individuals risk becoming mere editors of AI-generated content rather than independent thinkers.

A book is not merely ink printed on manufactured material obtained from a tree. It carries the accumulated wisdom of generations. Books preserve myths, ideas, imaginations, and stories that convey profound messages to society. This explains why every major civilization and religion has treasured its sacred texts.

Writing and reading are cultural practices passed from one generation to another. Each generation enriches this legacy with newly acquired knowledge, skills, and technologies. Regardless of technological advancement, there will always be a community of writers and readers dedicated to preserving and advancing this intellectual tradition.

AI may help us find answers more quickly, but books teach us how to think, reflect, and question. In an age overflowing with information, the enduring value of reading lies not in providing answers alone, but in cultivating the wisdom to ask meaningful questions.

Writer is a student of Economics and Public Administration.