Your AI writing assistant might be plotting your obsolescence: 3 ways to stay relevant
AI writing tools are here, and they’re not going anywhere. They’re like that overachieving intern who makes you question your job security. But before you hand over the keys to your creative kingdom, let’s talk about how to maintain your unique voice in this brave new world of artificial wordsmiths.
1. Don’t let AI steal your personality (it’s your biggest asset)
Sure, AI can crank out a decent article faster than you can say “writer’s block,” but can it capture your unique blend of wit, sarcasm, and caffeine-induced insights? Probably not.
How to stay relevant:
- Identify what makes your writing voice uniquely yours. Is it your pop culture references? Your knack for turning anything into a food analogy?
- Use AI for brainstorming, but make sure the final product carries your personal flair.
- Remember: Readers come for information, but they stay for personality.
2. Fact-check everything: because AI doesn’t care about your reputation
AI has access to a vast amount of information, but it lacks rigorous fact-checking skills. It will confidently tell you that the moon is made of cheese if that’s what its training data suggests.
How to avoid spreading misinformation:
- Develop a rock-solid fact-checking process for AI-generated content.
- Learn to properly attribute sources (AI tends to treat everything as common knowledge).
- Be transparent about your AI usage — before your readers catch on and call you out.
3. Keep your writing skills sharp
Relying too heavily on AI is like exclusively using a calculator for math. Sure, it’s faster, but one day you’ll be at a restaurant trying to calculate a tip and realize you’ve forgotten how to do basic arithmetic.
How to keep your writing muscles flexed:
- Set personal challenges that go beyond AI’s capabilities.
- Use AI to complement your skills, not replace them.
- Continuously learn and adapt — because the robots certainly are.
The bottom line
AI writing tools are powerful allies, but they’re not your ghostwriters, fact-checkers, or creative muses. They’re more like that friend who’s always eager to help with your homework but somehow always gets the answers slightly wrong.
Use AI to enhance productivity, spark ideas, and handle the grunt work. But remember, your readers are here for your unique insights, your human touch, and yes, even your occasional typos that prove you’re not a robot (yet).
So go forth and write, fellow humans. Embrace the AI revolution, but don’t let it embrace you back too tightly. Your job security — and your witty repartee — may depend on it.
Will Kelly is a technology industry writer and marketer. Medium is home to his personal writing. He has written for CIO, TechTarget, InfoWorld, and others. His career includes stints in technical writing, training, and marketing. Follow him on Twitter:@willkelly.
