Sunday Pick: Margaret Atwood on what AI can’t replace | from ReThinking with Adam Grant - TED Talks Daily Recap

Podcast: TED Talks Daily

Published: 2026-03-15

Duration: 2631

Guests: Margaret Atwood

Summary

Margaret Atwood discusses the irreplaceable nature of original voice in writing, which AI cannot replicate. She explores her personal experiences and reflections on creativity, privacy, and the impact of AI on literature.

What Happened

Margaret Atwood, renowned for 'The Handmaid's Tale', speaks on her belief that AI cannot replicate the originality of human writers. Despite AI's ability to mimic styles, Atwood argues it lacks the capacity to produce anything genuinely new and creative. She points out that AI companies have used her works to train models but remains unconcerned about being replaced by machines.

Atwood, at 86, has penned her first memoir, 'The Book of Lives', which delves into her childhood and writing journey. She recounts being tormented by peers and how such experiences shaped her narratives. Her memoir also reflects on her vast reading background, including science fiction, influenced by her father, a scientist.

The episode touches on AI's potential and its privacy concerns. Atwood mentions DuckDuckGo's Duck.ai as a tool for private AI chatting, emphasizing the importance of data security. She reflects on the nature of dystopias, noting they are human-made and cannot be easily escaped.

Atwood offers critical insight into book bans, arguing that they often fail to diminish interest and might even spark more curiosity about the forbidden content. She uses her own experiences of reading 'forbidden' classics under the covers as a child to illustrate this point.

Margaret Atwood also critiques poor writing advice she received, such as abandoning writing for marriage. She underscores the importance of perseverance in writing, likening it to learning a musical instrument.

In a lighter moment, Atwood imagines a dream dinner party with figures like Oscar Wilde and Nancy Mitford, highlighting her appreciation for witty and engaging conversation. She characterizes herself as 'delightfully disagreeable', relishing in challenging mainstream ideas.

Throughout the conversation, Atwood reflects on humanity's dual capacity for good and evil, with most people existing somewhere in between. She shares her view that writers do not retire but may decline in quality, though she has yet to experience this herself.

Key Insights

• AI can mimic writing styles but lacks the ability to create genuinely new and original content, according to Margaret Atwood. Despite AI companies training models on her work, she remains unconcerned about being replaced.
• DuckDuckGo's Duck.ai is highlighted as a tool for private AI chatting, emphasizing the importance of data security and privacy in AI interactions.
• Book bans often fail to reduce interest in the content and may actually increase curiosity, as forbidden books tend to attract more attention.
• Margaret Atwood critiques poor writing advice she received, such as abandoning writing for marriage, and stresses the importance of perseverance in writing, comparing it to learning a musical instrument.