Reader reflects on preferring pre-2022 books amid uncertainty over AI-assisted writing and authorship effort

The author says they subconsciously give more weight to books published before 2022, especially from unfamiliar writers, because those works likely predate widespread LLM use. They acknowledge that AI tools can produce strong work, but still feel that fully human writing and editing carry a sense of effort that affects how they read.

The piece captures a broader trust shift as generative AI blurs the line between human and machine-produced culture. Publishing may increasingly face demands for authorship transparency, even as readers gradually normalize AI as another creative tool.