The proportion of AI output you actively modify before using it. A low edit ratio means your critical filter is softening, and the gap between "sounds right" and "is right" is growing.
AI produces confident, polished output. That polish is the problem. When something reads well, the instinct to verify weakens. Edit Ratio measures whether you are treating AI output as raw material or finished product.
Example
A declining edit ratio
Month one: you rewrite 60% of AI drafts. Month three: you accept 80% unchanged. Nothing about AI improved. Your standards adjusted downward to match the convenience.
The Red Pen Protocol
For your next 5 AI outputs, highlight every change you make and write one sentence explaining why. Track how much survives unedited.
Weekly
The goal is not to change everything AI produces. It is to maintain the capacity to know when change is needed.