Criticizing all AI-assisted writing overlooks the fact that poor-quality, derivative content existed long before generative AI, and using AI does not automatically diminish the intellectual value of someone's work. The key distinction is whether AI removes incidental effort, such as editing or formatting, or replaces the critical thinking, analysis, and judgment that a task is meant to develop. Rather than focusing on whether AI was used, the more meaningful question is which parts of the thinking were delegated and which remained the responsibility of the person.