And how do memes get propagated "mechanically"? People say things like "the sky is blue" or that cancer sucks because they happen to agree, not because they heard it and just repeat whatever they heard all the time. Accusing someone of parroting something, instead of actually meaning it, is such a cop-out.

I mean sure, "writing is thinking" is shortening something, like "sharing is caring" does. Of course different things are not the same things. But it's not something people just "repeat", and when you ask them why they say it, they can't give you anything. Maybe that's why you're neither asking (why they say that, what they mean etc.) nor telling (in what way you disagree, what you think instead etc.).

> So if we're going to classify that and all other stuff one writes down as thought and elevate it, I don't see why prompting an AI isn't among that.

(IMO) of course it is, who said otherwise? Just the output isn't.