We all know that ChatGPT (and other chatbots) can crank out fairly coherent, grammatically perfect text that can appear practically human to the untrained eye. Those of us who live and breathe AI, however, can pick out AI-generated text the way a pawn shop owner can spot fake gold.
Despite knowing that there could be consequences, when a deadline looms or your mind is a complete blank, the temptation to rely on AI a little too heavily is very real for students and professionals alike.
And that’s where the dilemma lies: how do you tap into the power of AI writing tools without outsourcing your voice or even crossing the line into plagiarism and completely faking it? Here's how to use AI as a co-pilot without resorting to putting yourself and your ideas on autopilot.
1. Don’t just blindly prompt
The biggest mistake most people make is giving AI a prompt then waiting as the AI pumps out paragraphs of text. For example, you could prompt ChatGPT to “Write 1,000 words about the effects of microplastics on marine life” at the eleventh hour when your paper is due the next day at 8 a.m.
However, any good teacher would be on to you. Not to mention, apps like Grammarly now have AI detectors and can even grade your work, telling you what that AI generated paper will do for your mid-term report card.
The difference here is that AI is doing some of the grunt work but not the actual work.
But still, it’s midnight and there’s a reason you put your paper off this long. You probably don’t have time to stare at a blinking cursor now. Instead, lean on ChatGPT, or your favorite AI by prompting “I’m writing a paper on the effects of microplastics on marine life, what topics should I cover. Please give me an outline.”
The difference here is that AI is doing some of the grunt work but not the actual work. You may have not thought about including “inhalation/respiration in filter feeders (e.g., mussels, oysters)” but ChatGPT delivered a pretty comprehensive and usable outline.
2. Use AI for proofreading
As writers, we get pretty used to our own words, tone and style. I know that even when I read something over and “proofread,” I almost always miss something. Whether it’s a serial comma an extra space or a run-on sentence, having someone (or something) to help me proofread is a total game-changer.
I’ll often enter my completed draft into ChatGPT, Grammarly or another AI and ask it to proofread and edit. There are writing tools like Microsoft Copilot that actually follow along as you write, but for me, that feels a bit like someone is looking over my shoulder, so I usually wait until the first draft is complete.
I’ve been a writer my entire life; I was first published in a magazine called Spark at the age of eight and never stopped. I can safely say that asking AI to proofread isn’t cheating, especially when you are too shy to share your work with an actual human or simply don’t have a friend around to help. It can catch mistakes and offer suggestions the same way a human would.
3. Fact-checking
A lot of people scratch their heads when I mention I've used AI for fact-checking, but hear me out. If I hear a “fact” or a quote and want to know where it came from, I’ll lean on ChatGPT first instead of Google. ChatGPT is so much faster and cites the source.
As a human, I will always check the source twice, but nine times out of ten, ChatGPT will lead me directly to the source. Using a graph or image in your presentation or report as well? Use Google Lens to cite the source.
Don’t know how to properly cite a source? ChatGPT can help with that, too.
4. Brainstorming
When I’m working on a project, I’ll often run my ideas by AI. For example, I do a lot of writing for young readers aged 8-11 and will often ask ChatGPT to help with trending topics or how to summarize something for a child.
The goal is to use AI to stress test ideas, not to completely generate them.
To get the best results, I’ll do a brain dump of all my ideas into ChatGPT and ask it to tell me the top three best ones. I’ll ask it to help me flesh them out with an outline or with similar ideas that I may not have thought of.
5. Avoid the dreaded copy and paste
This should go without saying, but don’t copy and paste from any AI.
This should go without saying, but don’t copy and paste from any AI. Not only is it just inherently wrong and full of ick factor, but the results could also be completely inaccurate. Although AI is evolving, chatbots still hallucinate, which means the words appearing in your draft could be completely wrong.
To avoid embarrassment and sharing false information, it’s in your best interest to use AI sparingly and only to support your writing through grammar checks and editing drafts. Otherwise, you run the risk of generating useless text.
Bottom line
Use AI to support your writing the way you'd ask a friend for support: Just as you would ask your friend to read through your draft, not write it for you, ChatGPT and other chatbots can play that same role.
You can keep your voice and deliver the best content by utilizing AI for ideation and copy edits. It’s great to use when you want to improve your writing style while guaranteeing the final draft is free of errors.
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