This is a very valid point, as that is what progression means, to build on things, leading to something better, greater. Also the connection between reading and writing is surely very valid, and can't be denied. Just merely being an avid reader in general, maybe not reading all the bestsellers but knowing about them and how they were conceived makes them easier to read. I've read lots of different genre's of books, from academic to fiction, and in between. I think reading a lot does translate into writing, as one's brain is active, so writing becomes the next step. What is worrying that so many people rely solely on getting information from the internet or AI, without having been in the reading habit or bothering to read much. I am not saying people shouldn't look things up on Google, but just how we view everything on the internet as being true is worrying. The ability to think critical and ask where the information you read comes from, especially on some sites and forums, that are proliferated with discussions on similar topics. That information can be inaccurate or incorrect, yet many are reading it and believing it's all true. It's very important to not just read and think for oneself, but also to have the ability to decipher between good and bad or trashy writing, and click bait stuff, as opposed to real writing based on truth and genuine facts. For that reason relying solely on AI can't be good, as it eliminates a lot of prior thinking, and "short-circuits" the story, etc. Although on the surface, it looks like AI has loads of information and can generate pages of information instantly, that's not the same as quality, and unfortunately people confuse the two things. The correlate quantity with quality, as all the information looks so impresive.