Can AI really replace good writing?

AI seems to be everywhere right now. Chat GPT made headlines, with a reported 180.5 million users, who generated 1.6 billion visits in December 2023 alone. Chat GPT isn't the only AI bot that is proliferating our lives. But can it really replace us for writing?

Anyone who has sent a message using an iPhone will have been prompted to complete words, or even sentences (and no, I didn't mean to say "duck"!).

I have tended to draft my blog posts in Google docs, but have moved away now. Why? Because Google was planting thoughts in my head.

I don't mean in some weird sci-fi way, where the alien takes over the host, but I was finding that as I sat down to write with some degree of clarity over my word choices, Google would suggest a different way to finish the sentence. It wasn't what I had in my head, but as soon as it appeared on the screen these were the only words I could think about.

In "Collective Intelligence; How to build a business that’s smarter than you" - a must read book by the way, Jennifer Sundberg and Pippa Begg, chapter 6 looks back at the lengthy war reports delivered to Winston Churchill. He wrote;

"To do our work, we all have to read a mass of papers. Nearly all of them are too long...I ask my colleagues and their staffs to see to it that their reports are shorter."

He wanted succinct summaries to drive clearer thinking. He wanted the people who had the information and knowledge to distil it in a way that he and others could understand quickly.

Some will say AI can do just this. I disagree.

I think (good/effective) AI can help take some of the heavy lifting, especially if you guide it with better principles. It can make sense of huge amounts of data, pull out trends, and maybe give you some interesting insights. But what it can't do is replace your thinking. You know your reader, AI doesn't. You know what is important to your reader, AI doesn't. You are a person, an AI bot isn't.

The company I work for has just signed a deal with Microsoft co-pilot, and now even my emails and word docs aren't safe. Some people may say, well it saves me time, and gives me head space to focus on the big stuff. I would argue the way we communicate is the BIG stuff.

These are our thoughts. The words we chose are a part of us. They can be part of our character, or tone of voice. By taking these away we drift towards a culture where everyone sounds the same. Our writing becomes stilted, and almost mono-tonal.

In a recent post from an SVP where I work, that she admitted was written by Microsoft co-pilot, the post was so factual. It didn't have the human-factor. It was difficult for me to read, as I know when this person writes she inflicts her own thoughts and personality, and this post was devoid of that.

I'm not saying AI can't be useful. In fact, I think it could be a really powerful assistant, especially for initial discovery. What I am wary of, is that people will use it to replace their thinking.

Writing is hard. It's hard because when you do it well, it takes time and a lot of brain power. You need to craft a document that is right for your reader, that highlights critical points and joins the dots for them. No one want to read the same document over and over again. We would be asleep at our desk by 11am! That is my worry with using AI to craft documents, emails, and announcements. We will become robotic, and our reader will not thank you.

So next time you set out to write an email, think about what you want to write. If you have an auto-complete, be aware of the suggestions it offers and if that is actually what you wanted to say. Be aware of where AI can help, and where it actually hinders you.

Remember, you are writing for your reader. Use your words to distil your thoughts to move a discussion along. Make your words count. Find your own voice - this is what is likely to make you stand out.

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