Quoting Bruce Schneier

Bruce Schneier argues that writing assignments for students are gym tasks, not work tasks, designed to develop critical thinking skills through the act of writing, thinking, outlining, drafting, editing, and revising. He warns that without this constant mental exercise, those skills will atrophy, and employers are already noticing the decline.

The writing assignments I give my students are gym tasks, not work tasks. I ask them to write policy memos not because the world needs more policy memos. I assign them because the very act of writing, which includes thinking and outlining and drafting and editing, making and criticizing and revising arguments, will help develop the critical thinking skills they will need in their future careers. And without this constant mental exercise, those skills will atrophy. Employers are already noticing . — Bruce Schneier https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2026/07/should-you-use-ai-for-a-task-heres-a-simple-way-to-decide.html , Should You Use AI for a Task? Here’s a Simple Way to Decide Tags: ai-ethics https://simonwillison.net/tags/ai-ethics , writing https://simonwillison.net/tags/writing , ai-misuse https://simonwillison.net/tags/ai-misuse , generative-ai https://simonwillison.net/tags/generative-ai , bruce-schneier https://simonwillison.net/tags/bruce-schneier , ai https://simonwillison.net/tags/ai , llms https://simonwillison.net/tags/llms