Reading in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Reading in the AI age reminds us that some skills only books can truly teach.

- Jan Mohammad Mala

A few days ago, I walked into a library reading hall. The room was calm and most chairs were full. Students were there, but almost all of them stared at their phones, switching from one screen to another without stopping.

Only one student held a book and read.

He stayed with it, focused, while the rest of the world rushed past.

That moment stayed with me. It made me think about how much reading has changed in our lives.

Artificial intelligence makes information easier to get than ever before. We ask a question and get an answer in seconds. We read summaries instead of full books. We rely on ready-made explanations instead of thinking through ideas ourselves.

This is useful, but it also takes something away.

Reading has always been a slow, personal activity. It teaches patience, reflection, and focus.

A machine can give us facts, but it cannot give us the experience of thinking with a book. Only the reader can do that work.

Today, many people read just enough to understand the surface. They jump from one idea to another without taking time to think deeply. This limits understanding.