What Do We Really Mean by Effort?

As AI becomes a more common part of how we communicate, it’s bringing up some strong feelings — not just about what we write, but how we write it, and what that says about us.

In an article for Fast Company, writer Mark Wilson puts it bluntly:

“What is so insulting to me about those AI-written messages is that they take less time and consideration to produce than they do to consume. You are, by the nature of sharing these automated words, signaling to me that you care less about my time and attention than you do your own.” — Fast Company

It’s a strong take — and not because it’s wrong.

It’s because it’s loaded.

There are big feelings behind it.

Shame. Disappointment. Defensiveness. Maybe even a little fear.

And it raises the real question I think we’re all circling:

What counts as “trying” anymore?

If effort used to mean time, originality, or emotional labor, what does it mean in a world where a tool can help you say something faster, clearer, or more confidently than you could on your own?

In a previous post, I wrote about Return on Engagement (ROE) and the way AI is reshaping how we measure intelligence, productivity, and even self-worth. This builds on that conversation. Because if we’re rethinking what it means to be smart or strategic, we’re also rethinking what it means to care. To connect. To try.

Yes, some people are using AI to churn out lazy, soulless content. We’ve all seen it. It deserves critique.

But that’s not the whole story.

Some of us are using AI to communicate better — not worse.

To organize our thoughts.

To get unstuck.

To keep showing up creatively — even when we’re short on time, energy, or capacity.

To say something real in a world that doesn’t always make space — or time — for it.

So maybe the issue isn’t AI vs. human.

Maybe it’s intention vs. indifference.

Because AI is changing how we write.

But it’s also changing how we read each other.

How we interpret effort.

How we define respect.

And maybe that’s the part we actually need to unpack.