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Plain English with Derek Thompson

What 400,000 Essays Reveal About AI and Creativity

Plain English with Derek Thompson

The Ringer

News, News Commentary

4.72.1K Ratings

🗓️ 5 June 2026

⏱️ 55 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For generations, we've defined creativity by its products: the novel, the painting, the song, the breakthrough idea. We look at the work, and from the work we see the creator as “creative.” But AI is getting remarkably good at producing creative work. In some cases, experts now prefer AI-generated writing to work created by humans and can't reliably tell the difference between the two. In fact, a major literary prize even recently honored a work that was largely written by AI. It all raises a deeper question than whether or not AI can write well. It forces us to reconsider what creativity actually is. Today, neuroscientist Adam Green joins the show to discuss how AI is changing the way we write, think, and generate ideas. His research finds that while AI can make our language more polished and sophisticated, it may also make our thinking more uniform. The sentences get sharper. The ideas get more predictable. And If creativity is no longer something we can recognize from the final product alone, we may need a new, more human definition. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here:https://www.youtube.com/@PlainEnglishwithDerekThompson If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. Host: Derek ThompsonGuest: Dr. Adam GreenProducer: Devon BaroldiAdditional Production Support: Ben Glicksman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Attention all passengers.

0:09.0

The Uber ride for Mark and Jamal's romantic weekend will depart in four minutes from Platform 6.

0:16.0

Your ride comes with a rolling countryside sunset view and a table seat ideal for playing footsie beneath.

0:23.2

Thank you for booking your tickets on Uber.

0:27.1

Trains on Uber.

0:31.0

The internet is coaching our kids.

0:33.6

When boys hear that on repeat, it shapes how they see themselves.

0:37.2

We can't leave it to those voices.

0:39.1

We have to be louder.

0:40.4

Together with EE, we need to coach them, guide them, back them.

0:44.4

Building our boys up every chance we get.

0:46.8

Be yourself.

0:47.6

Back your mates.

0:48.6

Confidence comes from a vin.

0:50.0

Yes.

0:50.5

As proud partner of the England's teams, EEE, has support and guidance to help build all our boys up on and off the pitch.

0:57.1

Search EEE Yes, Boys.

0:59.4

Two weeks ago, the Commonwealth Short Story Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in literary fiction, announced its annual winners.

1:07.2

There was just one problem with this year's list of winners.

1:09.9

One winning story, it turned out,

1:11.5

was largely written by artificial intelligence. It's tempting to think that the prize judges

1:16.5

in this case must have just been stupid, that AI sucks at writing just like it sucks at everything

...

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