Medium’s new TK app brings AI assistance directly into the writing process

Medium has launched TK, a new writing app that builds an AI assistant straight into its editor, TechCrunch reports. Writers call on the assistant by typing "@TK" followed by a request. The name borrows a long-standing publishing placeholder meaning "to come," spelled with a K because that letter pairing is rare enough in English for proofreaders to catch. Medium says the assistant can answer quick factual questions that would otherwise send writers to another tab, pull in snippets saved during brainstorming, suggest prompts, organize earlier work, and offer specialized skills such as editorial and headline feedback or checks against the style guide for Medium publications.

TechCrunch's Sarah Perez notes the launch may stir controversy. Authors have lost book deals and literary prizes have faced scrutiny over suspected AI use, and AI detection tools remain unreliable. Medium is openly enthusiastic, arguing that AI makes writing "more important, not less." It acknowledges the risk of low-quality content and blurred authorship, though, and lets authors attach notes explaining how AI was used. Medium describes this as a first step toward making the provenance of writing transparent, down to prompts and sources.

TK can also link to a user's own AI agent through an MCP server or a Claude skill. It includes a social layer for sharing drafts and gathering human feedback. It runs on the web for now, with a desktop app planned, and supports Markdown import and export. Work is not encrypted, but access permissions can be set. Medium, which says it is profitable, is offering TK free to account holders.