Unleashing the Power of AI in Writing: DOs and DON’Ts for Writers

by Dayna Verstegen

Technology has transformed the way we work and live and is now fundamental to human evolution. Full stop. And throughout the proliferation of technology, there have always been prominent voices of concern--humans worry about being replaced by machines. This fear has proven correct around the globe with jobs like factory workers, bank tellers, postal workers, cashiers, and even librarians replaced by robots and other technology.

With the recent, dramatic increase in access to artificial intelligence, a new round of concerns is proliferating. Among the loudest voices have been entertainment writers. The SAG-AFTRA strike has put a spotlight on the problem. Entertainment industry writers fear being replaced by systems that can write scripts and dialogue in different voices and styles. They are right to be concerned--AI can even replicate humor and emotions. The key word here is “replicate.”

Artificial intelligence is not capable of creating authentic or original ideas. It does not have insight into the human condition. It does not have an imagination. Even the AI engines know it. I asked ChatGPT “What can AI not do?” Here is the answer and it is lengthy-I’ll summarize:

• Exhibit human emotion.

• Understand context fully.

• Be creative.

• Make ethical decisions.

• Possess common sense.

• Understand “why.”

• Have a consciousness.

• Replace human interaction.

In other words, all the things that make writers essential for our understanding of the world. Check out this excellent article from the World Economic Forum on the topic.

Will AI replace some of the work that we do? Yes, and it will do it faster. Items like forms, social media posts, headlines, responses to automated processes, and even collateral can be generated by artificial intelligence in seconds. But I hope that we can all agree that those tasks are not what make writers valuable. With the rise of AI-generated content, the “human touch” will be even more essential for the creation of authentic, compelling content.

Here is my urgent call to all the content creators working in corporations, entertainment, journalism, government, and non-profits: You will not be replaced by AI, but you do risk being replaced by another writer that is proficient with the technology. They will be able to do more in less time and will be a better value for employers.

Get started now! Bard (Google) is free to use. ChatGPT still permits a number of free “prompts” before you must begin paying (current price = $9/month, $90/year).

To get you started, here are the key Do’s and Don’ts for content creators:

DO

• Get smart about AI. There are tons of free resources on YouTube and around the web.

• Use AI for brainstorming and research.

• Use AI to speed up business writing tasks.

• Try the tone of voice tools.

• Use AI for more rote tasks like creating the first draft of product descriptions, blog posts, and social media updates.

• Use AI to generate headlines and titles (ChatGPT generated the title for this article).

• Use AI to make your content more accurate; it can help with grammar, style, editing, and proofreading.

• Use AI for translation.

• Cite the AI engine as your source of information.

• Check the facts and data (and remember, ChatGPT only has limited knowledge of the world and events after 2021).

• Ask the AI engine for its sources of information.

DO NOT

• Believe everything you read on AI. Problems with accuracy abound.

• Plagiarize. Cutting and pasting results and claiming them as your own work is unethical.

• Use AI on computers owned by the organization without approval.

• Input confidential information into the AI systems.

Do you have more ideas for Do’s and Don’ts? Share them in the comments below!

Note: This is the second article in a new series about using artificial intelligence tools for content creation. ChatGPT and Bard were resources for researching this post.

My next article called “Leveraging AI to Improve Profitability--Sales, Operations, and Strategic Planning” is coming soon!