Human writers are expensive, and they eventually die. AI is cheaper, and will never join a union. I have been thinking about this for close to 20 minutes, and I have concluded that human writing is finished. Let me begin with an anecdote, because that is how serious arguments begin. Last Tuesday I asked a machine to write me a birthday message for my sister-in-law.

Slate is now asking those who read the most to support our journalism more directly by subscribing to Slate Plus. Dear Prudence is online weekly to chat live with readers. Here's an edited transcript of this week's chat. I know it's a petty, marriage-killing thing to dwell on … but I'm smarter than my husband. Because he insisted we both get IQ tests. It turns out I qualify for MENSA and he just does not. Except now he's telling our friends his fairly impressive IQ and when they ask about me, he says: "Oh well, it doesn't really matter. What's important is how you use what God gave you."