The Differences between Writing and Coding

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The Differences between Writing and Coding

Last updatedUpdated:<br>Jul 3, 2026

by Simon Späti · CreatedCreated: Jul 3, 2026 · 2 min read

AI Writing differs from coding because it&rsquo;s consumed by different stakeholders. One is a computer running the code; the other is a real human being.

# Naval: Code is Consumed by Computers, Writing by Humans. So Write it Yourself

Naval

said it well: coding is not meant to be read by a human, it&rsquo;s meant to be utilitarian, executed or read by computers, writing is meant to be read by a human, therefore it should be written by a human:

Well, that&rsquo;s not true. I used to write code. So, maybe I am contradicting myself. But code is like it&rsquo;s a utilitarian . It&rsquo;s like it&rsquo;s not meant for a code is meant to be consumed by another computer .

It&rsquo;s not meant to be consumed by a human . So, if I want to create something that&rsquo;s meant to be consumed by a computer, I will use a computer. Yeah. But if it&rsquo;s meant to be consumed by a human, then I want to understand the thing . I want to, you know, ruminate, marinate within it. And then I want to respect the reader or listener&rsquo;s time. Yes. And give them that insight nugget. Now the AI is useful for brainstorming.

I continue the though with two differnet the &ldquo;The Two Kinds of Writing Styles with AI Models &rdquo; at Writing with AI.

And I wrote more about why writing should be without AI at Keep AI Out of Your Obsidian Vault, or more opinions from the top programmers and writers at Will AI Replace Human Thinking, curated over the last two years.

# Further Reads

Types of Writings

Origin:

References: The art behind coding and writing (and music)

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Table of Contents

Backlinks

Writing with AI: What's the Best Approach?

I'd rather Read the Prompt

Will AI Replace Human Thinking? The Case for Writing and Coding Manually