If you're sick of the sight of AI, then there may be one way to quietly revolt against it. A growing number of people are using handwriting as a daily ritual for focus, reflection and creativity. And we don't mean they're using handwriting fonts (although there are many excellent ones available), we mean they're using actual pen and paper.
Emma Thompson is the latest person to say she feels "intense irritation" towards AI and she handwrites everything ("on old scripts") because she believes there is a connection between the hand and the brain.
A return to handwriting might not feel directly related to the rise of AI, but it comes alongside a resurgence in vinyl records and film cameras and a general rediscovery of so-called "analogue" experiences.
British pen brand Scriveiner has analysed how handwriting is being rediscovered, as it has experienced a 340 per cent increase in sales over the past year. That's a lot of the best pens.
Scriveiner has worked with psychotherapist Eloise Skinner to look at what makes handwriting the antidote to AI fatigue.
"There are a number of benefits of handwriting – research indicates that brain activity is more engaged during handwriting than using other forms of recording information, and our memory and brain health are also supported," says Eloise.
"Writing by hand can also help us with processing our thoughts, improving our spelling and grammar, and challenging us to develop a more deliberate, personal voice, especially when compared to writing options that encourage auto-correct or predictive language.
"Handwriting can also be a more embodied experience, connecting our mind and body, and could even be seen as a form of meditative or mindfulness practice, if we can bring our minds fully into the present moment as we're writing," she explains.
And handwriting is also good for our brains, activating more than 20 regions involved in memory, language and creativity, far more than typing. According to research, people who write by hand recall information up to 25 per cent better and understand complex ideas 17 per cent more effectively than those who type.
Among adults, handwriting has been linked to improved problem-solving, emotional regulation, and lower stress levels, with participants in university experiments reporting a 27 per cent reduction in anxiety after regular journaling.
And handwriting and journalling are popular online too, with TikTok seeing a 28 per cent increase in searches for notebooks and a 17 per cent increase for journals over the past few months.
This may be fuelled in part by celebrities showing their support for handwriting. Aside from Emma Thompson's declarations, Emma Watson has explained that she writes by hand every day and never travels without her notebook.
"Technology has transformed how we work and communicate, but it can’t replace the human mind," says Kirsty Cameron, marketing manager at Scriveiner. "Writing by hand helps people slow down, think clearly, and reconnect with their ideas. In an age of automation, it’s how we make our thoughts our own again."
So next time you're frustrated with AI or are feeling disconnected, why not try picking up a pen or a pencil and grabbing yourself a notebook. Write out all your frustrations and congratulate yourself on your act of AI rebellion.
