When I type something to a bot and wait for it to auto-complete / respond, my mind no longer applies itself to the problem, it shuts off and waits to be told the answer.
(This is much like Amelia Wattenberger's own reflections)
Writing directly, there is no answer imminently arriving other than what I consider, so my mind is fully applied to what words come next, and where the essay or story is going as a whole. I have to be in the present moment and aware of what I actually think and feel about the subject, which an AI would otherwise regularly interrupt through suggestions and challenges.
What I value most about writing without AI is seeing a consolidation of my feeling and understanding, and then through edits and revisions, its transformation and refinement. And similar with other creative acts, there's the catharsis of expressing what I wanted to say.
In the future I think cathartic self-expression can also be achieved with AI tools, although for the most part, this is limited to already experienced creatives blending tools with their existing non-AI workflows.