AI is a Tool, Not a Threat

How generative AI is changing the way people write, and why it’s OK to use it thoughtfully for content creation (Bonus: I include a poll at end to share your thoughts)

I recently read one of my son’s college essays and couldn’t help but notice an overuse of the word “ensure.” When I asked him if he uses AI to write, he admitted yes. As a longtime journalist, I couldn’t help give him a writing lesson: use simpler words than “ensure,” use more active verbs, avoid repeating phrases, and for the love of all things literary and in the holy name of Hemingway, stop inserting so many darned em dashes.

If you notice, I did not tell him to not use AI. This got me thinking about how people react to generative AI in writing. I see a lot of comments on social media, particularly LinkedIn, where folks claim they can spot AI-created content. And people note that AI-supplied content reads terribly. One connection recently told me it’s referred to as “AI slop.”

People are quick to point out its many “tells.” Words like “ensure,” “reimagined” and “pivotal,” or an overuse of unnecessary punctuation are common tells. This recent Medium article analyzed AI’s stylistic quirks from ChatGPT. It noted that AI struggles with first-person voice and humor. There are other ways to detect AI-gen content, according to this Flesky post.

I’m not here to argue against these observations. I advise clients, and my college student son, to avoid certain words when writing because they scream “AI.” But, as I often say, it’s difficult to stuff the genie back in the bottle. Generative AI isn’t going away. And I don’t believe it should.

When I’m asked if I use AI, I admit it. Yes. As a solopreneur, I find it helpful for copyediting, brainstorming and even for feedback on ideas. It’s a tool, just like a thesaurus, a computer’s spellcheck or a proofreader. Are people equally bothered if they were to learn I look up synonyms in my search bar when I write online? You don’t hear complaints about how journalists use editors and don’t write their own headlines.

I believe there’s so much hatred for AI content because much of it is not resonating. Some AI content just isn’t engaging correctly for the intended audience. That’s where content creators like myself can come into play and help massage the writing.

Perhaps the discomfort with gen AI comes from some place deeper. I believe many people equate it with cheating or plagiarism, like an artist tracing someone else’s artwork. But what if an artist used traced elements to add to a new and original piece that builds on the copied work? Isn’t that exciting and meaningful?

Similarly, gen AI is about generating ideas and helping to put structure into your writing, leaving room for your human touch to polish the final product.

I tell my clients using AI is OK. It’s just a tool. What matters is how it’s used. For entrepreneurs and investors, gen AI could help shape your business communications and pitch decks. For storytelling, it can make your founding narratives sharper and more engaging. The key is to apply judgment, or hire a content creator like myself to help create a human voice from AI. It’s very possible to make AI writing feel alive and, ahem, ensure, that your communications remain distinctly yours.

So here’s the question I wanna ask my readers: Can we use gen AI without losing what makes writing uniquely human? I believe we can.

But I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or send me an email. I’m always interested in hearing different perspectives on how tools like AI are shaping the way we work and create.

Feature image courtesy of Vecteezy.com.