AI doesn't replace human intelligence - it multiplies whatever you bring to the table, it is Amplified Intelligence. Input genius, get genius squared, input confusion, get coherent-sounding confusion at scale.
Better writers make better prompters because writing is thinking. They know how to frame questions that contain their answers, recognize good output from bad, iterate toward precision instead of accepting "close enough." When a good writer prompts AI, they're having a conversation with possibility. When a bad writer does it, they're playing slot machines with words.
The Multiplication Effect
The multiplication effect is brutal. A novelist who understands character gets AI to generate dialogue that breathes. Someone who thinks character means "likes coffee and has trust issues" gets AI to write NPCs. The gap between them hasn't shrunk—it's grown exponentially.
This extends everywhere. Good programmers use AI to explore solution spaces faster. Bad programmers use it to generate technical debt faster. Good doctors synthesize research. Bad doctors synthesize malpractice. The tool amplifies what's there—including the absence of what should be there.
We're not in an age of artificial intelligence. We're in an age of intelligence amplification, where your input determines your output exponentially. The smart get smarter. The confused get more confidently confused. The gap widens.
You can't hide behind AI any more than you can hide behind a megaphone. It just makes whatever you are louder.
If you're reading this and nodding, you're probably on the right side of the amplification curve. AI isn't your replacement—it's your multiplier.