Please note that due to the fast pace of technological advancement, this article may self-destruct in six months. But we’re not there yet. So, let’s have a go.

Every industry at some point has a battle royale—a knock-down, drag-out fight between humans and technology. Let’s use math as a prime example. Anyone who has seen the movie “Hidden Figures” understands that as early as 1935, back when NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), they hired women to perform the complex mathematical calculations engineers needed for their research.

The era of human computers gradually ended as digital computers became more reliable and widely adopted in the 1960s. We’ve seen similar transitions repeatedly as technological advances are leveraged in various industries.

One branch of publishing where artificial intelligence (AI) has settled in and put its feet up on an ottoman is editing. Every word processing program has AI at the ready to suggest edits the minute a letter appears on the screen. That’s just the basic programs. I haven’t even addressed plug-ins like Grammarly.

On top of that, every writer has a variety of tools ready to assist with advanced editing features:

• ProWritingAid: Offers detailed feedback on grammar, spelling, and style
• Hemingway Editor: Focuses on improving writing tone and readability
• Ginger Software: Provides grammar and spell checking with translation capabilities
• QuillBot: Specializes in paraphrasing and content enhancement
• AutoCrit: Offers fiction writers genre-specific analysis and storytelling insights

Honestly, I have access to way more tools than I’ll ever admit to anyone other than the government during tax season. However, let’s get into what it means for editing and editors.

Writing AI Prompts Is a Skill

Even researching to write this article required more than one prompt. I started researching the impact of AI on job elimination, and AI gave me answers. But I’ve found with AI-assisted research, I still have to dig. AI responded with research results from an article written in 2025. However, that article referenced research from 2017. Change is happening too quickly for me to depend on or share data from 2017. So, I had to go back and edit my prompt.

The same applies to written content. Getting what you want from AI requires precision, knowledge, and the ability to guide the technology toward your desired outcome. This skill isn’t inherent—it's developed through practice and understanding of both the technology’s capabilities and the nuances of effective communication. Anyone who has tried to use AI-generated images and realized the person in the graphic has six fingers on their left hand knows this.

Voice

In my master’s degree writing program, I spent a whole quarter breaking down the various writing styles of the greats. Each week, we would study either Cicero or Plato. My instructor told me that each person’s writing is as unique as a fingerprint. When analyzed, writing that seems similar at first glance will reveal different sentence structures, vocabulary, and rhythm. Yet when we use the popular editing software, its recommended changes sometimes take the “me” out of the writing. And that’s something good editors should never do.

A human editor understands that preserving the writer’s voice is paramount. They can suggest changes that enhance clarity without sacrificing the individual style that makes the work unique. The humanity of lived experience cannot be replaced by technology.

Types of Technology

The technological landscape offers various tools that can analyze writing in different ways. Some can tell you if your work fits within a genre or how it compares with bestsellers. That’s always good information to know. However, these analyses are just data points—they don’t capture the qualities that make writing resonate with readers.

A good editor is still like a good doctor. If you have one, you keep them come hell, high water, or insurance plan. If your editor is talking about the Chicago Manual of Style on Instagram, keep her. The relationship between writer and editor is built on trust, understanding, and a shared commitment to creating the best possible work.

The Rules of Writing

I once had a writing instructor in my master’s program who said, “You have to know all the rules before you can break them.” This wisdom applies to the relationship between AI and editing. AI excels at identifying technical errors and suggesting corrections based on established rules. But great writing often comes from knowing when and how to break those rules for effect.

A human editor brings the judgment, the discernment on when breaking convention serves the work and when it doesn’t. They understand that sometimes, a grammatically incorrect sentence is exactly what the piece needs to create impact or establish voice. Or just to make a point.

Conclusion

Just like the transition from NASA human computers to electronic computers, the evolution of AI editing will be a process. There are tools that are beneficial now. I know. I use them.

As AI continues to evolve, it will undoubtedly become an increasingly valuable tool in the writer’s arsenal. But tools are just that: instruments to be wielded by skilled hands. The relationship between writer and editor is collaborative, intuitive, and currently deeply human.

While AI can handle many technical aspects of editing, it cannot (yet) replicate the insight, empathy, and artistic judgment that a skilled human editor brings to the table.

A good editor doesn’t just correct your mistakes—they understand your vision and help you realize it more fully than you could alone. That kind of partnership isn’t something we should be eager to replace, no matter how advanced our technology becomes.

A good writer understands that their voice is filtered through years of experiences to be, as my instructor said, as unique as a fingerprint, and it needs to be cherished. Rather than asking if AI can replace editors, perhaps we should focus on how these technologies can empower editors to do what they do best: helping writers craft work that resonates, enlightens, and endures.

---