Staring at a blank screen is something most writers try to avoid. To tackle writer’s block, consider embracing AI tools (or bots). They can save you lots of time and stress.
First, it’s important to understand the basics: AI is essentially an intelligent assistant that can enhance your writing. But it can’t replace the passion, storytelling, nuance and emotional depth that you bring to your work.
Pluses
Because they can quickly analyze immense amounts of data, ChatGPT and Google Bard, among many other AI tools, can handle a host of tasks central to both internal communications and external communications, such as:
- Brainstorming
- Summarizing research
- Proofreading
- Editing
- Outlining
- Generating article and headline ideas
- Creating rough first drafts
Prompt Engineering is Paramount
Before you dive in, learn how to communicate with the AI bot – a process called prompt engineering. For the best results, be specific: “You are a travel expert. I’m writing an article for first-time visitors to San Francisco. Give me a list of 10 must-see spots.”
Tread Carefully
While AI tools can facilitate content development, human oversight is vital. That’s particularly true for creative storytelling. Even when you use AI to develop a first draft, you should reframe it in your own words. AI tools sometimes make things up (hallucinate) and can amplify biases in the data they’re trained on, so be sure to scrutinize their results. And don’t include personal, private or sensitive information in your prompts, since there’s a good chance it’ll be used to further train the bot.
Keep Up to Date
Since AI is evolving at breakneck speed, always stay on top of new developments. Using AI tools can dramatically change your writing habits – for the better!
Author: Diane Karsch