I’ve decided to start writing this year. It may be essays; it may be short paragraphs here and there. It definitely won’t be 140 character social media posts. Quick shots out into the ether is the antithesis of my goal. A large part of my goal is also to avoid writing with AI. This isn’t because I’m a luddite ready to smash the machinery of AI but rather the opposite. My professional life largely defined by develop of and with AI. AI and distributed systems have been a primary professional focus for more than the past decade. Before that, AI and graphics were my main undergrad passions. I love linear algebra, what can I say?

I’ve decided to write - and write publicly - because I’m observing many of my peers offloading their thinking to AI. In a world of short attention spans where you have to keep moving, writing the old way seems almost like a decadent luxury. However, I see it as a key way to exercise my thinking and ensure that I don’t fall into the trap of just reaching for my dear friend Claude.

The writing probably won’t start out as the most impressive prose. That’s not my goal. I’ve primarily written for engineering and general business communication, although I did spend a couple years writing and rewriting many essays for my MBA at University of Illinois. I’ve considered publicly writing in the past, but I largely concluded that no one would be interested in what I would say. I’ve gotten over that. The reality is, I’m writing for myself - to stay sharp, to think, to get ideas down on paper even if they’re silly - not for anyone else.

If along the way I make friends, get into some fun debates, and learn a thing or two from others - that’s an awesome bonus. I’m not sure yet what my writing style is or will become - hopefully I’ll figure that out. Looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to more exercise in an area that I’ve taken for granted.