Writing tool journey – from typewriter to artificial intelligence

You can often tell a person’s age by the way they type. Older individuals, like myself, tend to type forcefully on a keypad because we learned on manual typewriters. I can still remember the sound of the keys and the strain on my fingers as I practiced on a Smith and Corona typewriter in my first year of high school. Back then, it felt like cutting-edge technology, and I was proud to be part of the “privileged” generation learning how to use it. It was a relief not to write with a pen and paper anymore, which seemed much more relaxed than it was.

It didn’t take long to realize that accuracy was essential when learning to type. In those days, we used liquid paper to correct errors and tried not to make them too obvious because they made you look incompetent. Typing was indeed a perfectionist’s paradise.

Then, along came the ribbon corrector to change it all. A ribbon corrector was added on top of the inking ribbon, and with the click of a button, you could correct a letter or word without the mess of liquid paper. It was revolutionary!

Imagine how excited everyone was when they were introduced to an electronic keyboard in senior year. They thought they had struck gold. We never looked back on the days that now seem like ancient history, when the muscles in our fingers were as strong as could be from the amount of exercise and abuse they endured. Enter the word processor with basic editing features, and the media world goes wild.

Fast-forward to the ’80s, I worked for a local newspaper editing advertisements. I was introduced to my first computer workstation, the 512K MacIntosh. An all-in-one stand-up computer, it was known for its stellar media capabilities (it was 1986). I was one of the first people in my department to adapt quickly to computer technology. This propelled my lifetime career in communications, marketing, and content production.

The delivery system may have changed, but the demand for content is increasing at an unprecedented rate, making it challenging for website owners to meet the growing needs.

Enter AI, the fastest and most powerful way to deliver content. It is so good at its job that there is no need to know how to write or even tap on a keyboard because AI is now voice-activated. From pen to typewriter to voice-activated writing, you wonder what is next. How much farther can we go in terms of writing?  Is there any further we can go? Do we need to go any further?

Despite the incredible technological advancements, there’s still something uniquely irreplaceable about human creativity in content creation. AI can streamline processes and handle data, but the nuance, emotion, and original thought humans bring to writing are unparalleled. As we move forward, it’s crucial to balance technological assistance with the irreplaceable value of human ingenuity.

Image by Roy Buri from Pixabay

Writing has always been her passion and a voice for those who cannot speak. She considers herself fortunate to write every day and says her mantra is, “I drink coffee, write, and I know about people and technology.” Her writing is diverse and can be found online on websites like LifeHack, You Have a Calling, Medium, TechCrunch and, She Knows.