In a world where AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Deep Seek can summarize a 600-page novel in seconds, we may find ourselves wondering: why bother reading deeply anymore?

Let’s understand Deep reading first. It is the slow, immersive, thoughtful engagement with text, it is not just about absorbing content. It’s about shaping our minds. It’s what teaches us to pause, to think critically, to empathize, and to make meaning from complexity. Unlike casual reading, where we skim headlines or scroll through quick content, deep reading requires focus, patience, and emotional engagement. It means staying with a complex idea, absorbing the nuances of a sentence, and reflecting on the inner conflict of writers or their subtle arguments. As artificial intelligence reshapes how we consume knowledge, it tempts us with speed and convenience but it may quietly erase the very capacities that make us human. Through this blog I will make you understand that why deep reading still matters; perhaps now more than ever.

Neurologically, deep reading activates multiple regions of the brain: those responsible for language, memory, empathy, and sensory experience. The cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf in her talk (available on YouTube at The University of Chicago Graham School YouTube channel) says, “deep reading builds a quality of attention that enables us to analyse, infer, and reflect which is the essential components of critical thinking.” In the act of reading we build emotional intelligence, broaden our perspective, and practice empathy. Research in psychology and education has shown that people who read literary fiction regularly score higher in tests of social cognition and empathy. Why? Because deep reading puts us into someone else’s shoes and keeps us there. In contrast to the quick dopamine hits of digital consumption (The quick dopamine hits and the increasing use of social media is another troubling issue, I suggest you to explore it on your own), deep reading cultivates sustained attention and cognitive endurance. The American entrepreneur and author Jim Rohn says, “Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” Jim Rohn’s quote reminds us that deep reading doesn’t just make us informed but it helps elevate our thinking beyond average, beyond superficial. It sharpens our ability to question, reflect, and grow.

Psychologically, deep reading fosters not only intellectual maturity but also emotional resilience. When we engage deeply with complex characters, conflicting viewpoints, or unresolved endings, our minds learn to hold ambiguity, develop patience, and regulate emotions. The Psychologist Raymond Mar says, “Engaging with stories helps us understand other people and our social world.” Deep reading allows us to simulate emotional experiences, understand diverse perspectives, and process the complexities of human relationships. We confront dilemmas, grieve with characters, and rejoice in their growth. Over time, this strengthens our empathy and self-awareness. In the words of Carl Jung, “Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.” Deep reading becomes a mirror to our inner selves, helping us identify feelings and beliefs that we may not have consciously acknowledged. Unlike quick content, which often numbs us with overstimulation, deep reading offers a kind of therapeutic introspection i.e a mental space where transformation quietly takes root.

We live in an age of shortcuts, our generation wants everything as fast as possible and expects instant results. Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, or DeepSeek can now process and summarize entire books, articles, or academic papers within seconds. Need a quick overview of Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov? AI’s got you. Want a synopsis of a research paper for tomorrow’s meeting? Done in one prompt. But with this growing dependence on machine-generated summaries comes a subtle shift: we’re learning to favour speed over depth, answers over questions, and efficiency over experience. This culture of speed has deeply affected students, researchers, and professionals. Many now skip entire readings in favour of AI-generated abstracts or YouTube explainers. While this might help meet deadlines, it also risks flattening our intellectual engagement. The nuances, contradictions, and discomforts that make reading meaningful are often left behind. In this race toward faster knowledge, we risk creating a generation of thinkers who know what something means but not why it matters.

No matter how advanced machines become, they cannot replicate the inner transformation that deep reading brings. It can generate meaning, but it cannot derive meaning from lived experience. Reading deeply allows us to wrestle with ambiguity, sit with discomfort, and engage with ideas that challenge us.

By deep reading we,
develop empathetic imagination by inhabiting perspectives unlike our own.

hone complex reasoning by following intricate narratives or arguments.

cultivate a sense of self, one shaped not just by information, but by interpretation.

George Saunders once said, “Fiction is a kind of empathy machine.” It makes us more human, something no algorithm, however brilliant, can simulate. AI may be able to mimic thought, but it cannot feel heartbreak in a poem, or wrestle with moral dilemmas in a novel, or grow wiser after reading a memoir. That’s the irreplaceable gift of deep reading.

I am not saying to stop using AI tools, but suggest you to use it wisely. AI can be a powerful companion in our reading journey. It can suggest books based on interests, or provide background context for complex topics. But it should serve as a starting point, not the endpoint.

Rather than replacing deep reading, we can use AI tools to enhance it:

Use ChatGPT or any other LLMs’ tool to generate discussion questions after reading a novel.
Ask AI to compare philosophical arguments across authors after you’ve read them.
Use tools like Goodreads or AI-powered recommendation engines to find your next deep read.

In the fast-moving age of algorithms and instant answers, the quiet discipline of deep reading is more essential than ever. It anchors us. It nourishes our inner world. It slows us down and in doing so, makes us more thoughtful, empathetic, and fully human. The famous quote by George R.R. Martin, “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”; crystallizes the true essence of why we must protect deep reading. Each book is a lived world, a new identity, a new insight. AI may help us find these stories, but only reading can let us live them.

So, here’s a gentle invitation: pick up a book this week. Read it not to finish it quickly, but to enter its world. Let it provoke you, change you, and stay with you. Resist the urge to summarize it with AI. Instead, summarize it with your soul. Because in a world built for speed, choosing to read deeply is a radical and beautiful act of resistance.