Are Reading and Writing Still Important in the Age of Artificial Intelligence?
The answer is almost self-evident: yes. But the first question we must ask is, why?
在人工智慧的時代，閱讀與寫作的能力還重要嗎？
答案幾乎是顯而易見的：是的。但我們必須追問，為什麼呢？
The use of so-called AI is ubiquitous. With just one prompt, students can generate summaries, essays, and even entire research reports. Many parents ask whether this means reading and writing skills are losing their importance. If machines can already handle these tasks, why should children spend years of their lives developing skills that might be replaced? As a teacher, my answer is the opposite. Literacy skills have not disappeared in the age of AI. In fact, they have become more important than ever.
AI 無所不在。只要輸入一則提示詞（prompt），學生就能立即獲得書摘、短文，甚至是研究報告。這讓許多家長產生疑問：「這是否意味著閱讀與寫作的重要性正在下降？如果機器已能代勞，為什麼孩子還要花費數年的青春去培養這些看似將被取代的能力？」身為教師，我的答案正好相反。閱讀與寫作不僅沒有過時，在 AI 時代反而比以往更加重要。
Reading is not merely decoding words on a page. It is about developing judgment, learning to evaluate ideas, weigh evidence, and recognize bias. These abilities have never been more essential. Almost everything we read today has already been filtered by AI. Algorithms decide which news we see. Search engines predict what we want to know. Large language models can summarize entire books in seconds. This filtering can trap us inside echo chambers, where we are only exposed to opinions that confirm what we already believe. Without strong reading habits, students may assume that everything produced or selected by AI is accurate and complete. This illusion may make them think they know far more than they actually do.
閱讀不只是解碼文本，它更在於培養判斷力——評估想法、權衡證據、辨識偏見的能力。這樣的素養在今日顯得前所未有的重要。因為我們接觸到的資訊，大多已經先經過 AI 的篩選。演算法決定哪些新聞會出現；搜尋引擎預測我們想知道什麼；大型語言模型甚至能在幾秒內總結整本書。這種過濾機制可能讓我們陷入「同溫層」，只接觸到加強既有信念的觀點。缺乏良好的閱讀習慣，學生便容易誤以為 AI 篩選過的內容都是真的，甚至產生自己已經掌握任何領域全部知識的錯覺。
Writing is equally vital. It is not simply putting words together but organizing ideas, showing understanding, and taking responsibility for one’s claims. Generative AI can draft a text, but it cannot teach students how to assess evidence, build an argument, or engage in meaningful communication. Researchers therefore suggest a position of cautious optimism. AI can help students learn, but its risks, such as factual errors, ethical problems, and over-reliance, require human oversight (Giannakos et al., 2025). Students must learn new abilities, such as interpretation, fact-checking, and placing AI-generated content into context. Thus, writing remains the best way to hone these skills (Tan et al., 2025).
寫作同樣不可或缺。它不是單純的文字堆砌，而是對想法的組織、對觀念的理解，以及對自己主張的承擔。生成式 AI 能快速產生草稿，但它無法教導學生如何評估證據、建構論點或進行真誠的交流。研究者因此主張，我們應保持「審慎的樂觀」（Giannakos 等，2025）：AI 確實能輔助學習，但其帶來的風險——事實錯誤、倫理爭議以及過度依賴——更需要人類自己把關。為了因應這些挑戰，學生必須發展新的能力，例如詮釋、事實查核，以及將 AI 輸出置於脈絡之中。而鍛鍊這些能力的最佳方式，就是寫作（Tan 等人，2025）。
There is another reason. Writing has become the main way we interact with AI. Every question, command, or explanation must be given in words. The clearer and more precise the writing, the better the response. A vague or poorly structured prompt often leads to useless results, while careful and well-written language brings out the full potential of these tools. Students who can write clearly will not only succeed in school and life but also make far better use of AI.
還有另一個更迫切的理由：寫作已經成為人類與 AI 互動的主要方式。我們的每一個問題、指令或說明，都必須透過文字來進行。寫作愈清晰、愈精準，AI 的回應就愈好。模糊或結構不佳的提示詞，往往產生無用的答案；而深思熟慮、表達得體的文字，則能真正釋放工具的潛力。換言之，能清楚表達的學生，不僅能在學業與生活中脫穎而出，也能更有效地駕馭人工智慧。
Writing also develops what Daniel et al. (2023) call writerly virtues: reasoning, empathy, resilience, and civic responsibility. Writing encourages reflection and builds connections between people. This is especially true in multimodal projects that combine text with images, sound, or video. AI can produce parts of these works, but it cannot decide what best conveys empathy, builds trust, or resonates with culture. These are human judgments (at least for now), requiring both care and wisdom.
寫作還能培養 Daniel 等人（2023）所提出的「作者的美德」：推理、同理心、韌性與公民責任。寫作能鼓勵反思，並促進人與人之間的連結。這在多模態寫作（multimodal writing）中特別重要——這類寫作計畫結合了影像、聲音或影片與文字。AI 可以生成其中的部分內容，但它無法判斷哪些形式能展現同理心、建立信任、引發文化共鳴。這些人性化的判斷，需要智慧與用心。
For parents, the conclusion is clear: support your children’s reading and writing. Keep reading with them as they grow older, and talk about the details you notice in texts. Ask questions that require deliberation. Encourage them to write journals, stories, or letters, not only school assignments. If they use AI, guide them to check accuracy, logic, and rewrite in their own words. Most of all, set an example. Let children see you reading, writing, and revising, so that literacy becomes part of daily life.
對家長而言，結論非常清楚：支持孩子的閱讀與寫作歷程。即便孩子逐漸長大，也要陪伴他們一起閱讀，並討論你在文本中注意到的細節。鼓勵他們寫日記、故事或書信——而不只是完成學校作業。如果他們使用 AI，請引導他們檢查其準確性，並用自己的話進行修改。最重要的是以身作則。讓孩子看到你在閱讀、寫作與修訂，使這些行為成為日常生活的一部分。
The natural next question is how we can help children develop listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the age of AI. That will be the focus of the next few articles.
接下來的問題自然是：在人工智慧時代，我們該如何培養孩子的聽說讀寫能力？這將是下一篇文章所要探討的主題。
References
Ademola, O. E. (2024). Reading strategies in the AI age: Enhancing comprehension and engagement with advanced technologies. Proceedings of the 38th iSTEAMS Bespoke Conference, 105–124. https://doi.org/10.22624/AIMS/ACCRABESPOKE2024P13
Daniel, S., Pacheco, M., Smith, B., Burriss, S., & Hundley, M. (2023). Cultivating writerly virtues: Critical human elements of multimodal writing in the age of artificial intelligence. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 67(1), 32–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaal.1298
Giannakos, M., Azevedo, R., Brusilovsky, P., Cukurova, M., Dimitriadis, Y., Hernandez-Leo, D., Järvelä, S., Mavrikis, M., & Rienties, B. (2025). The promise and challenges of generative AI in education. Behaviour & Information Technology, 44(11), 2518–2544. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2024.2394886
Tan, X., Cheng, G., & Ling, M. H. (2025). Artificial intelligence in teaching and teacher professional development: A systematic review. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 8, 100355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2024.100355
Tiernan, P., Costello, E., Donlon, E., Parysz, M., & Scriney, M. (2023). Information and media literacy in the age of AI: Options for the future. Education Sciences, 13(9), 906. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13090906
Tiernan, P., Costello, E., Donlon, E., Parysz, M., & Scriney, M. (2023). Information and media literacy in the age of AI: Options for the future. Education Sciences, 13(9), 906. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13090906