By Glenn Hansen
Maybe it’s because I’m a DIY kind of person, but I’m not a fan of generative AI tools. I’m talking about ChatGPT and Claude, etc., the software people use to write for them. Still, I can’t stop you or others from taking these shortcuts. What I can try to do is share what I’ve learned by experimenting and studying AI for the last 12 months.
If you use ChatGPT or others to help you write emails or sales presentations or website copy, consider these guidelines.
First, write something before you ask AI for help
Write something, anything, first, by yourself. The first draft is not good anyway, every writer knows this, including Ernest Hemingway, who reportedly said first drafts are garbage. I wrote a draft of a thing recently and I was not sure about it. My wife, who is often my “Can you read this?” helper, was not home to proofread. So I copied it into Gemini and prompted with “Read this for clarity.” I’ve used that simple prompt a few times and it can be helpful; it was this time too.
Because I started with my own words and ideas, the AI tool could focus on reading it for understanding. I didn’t ask for new information. That’s important because...
Second, AI lies
Generative AI tools do indeed generate things. Lots of things. Did you see the news about the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper and its Summer Reading List for 2025 (published this past May)? A freelance writer used AI and did not fact check the work. The AI tool generated some real book reviews but it also created fake books by real authors. The Sun-Times paper printed it all. It lied, and lazy editors allowed it.
I can get pedantic here and say, “Lying is a strictly human art form used only by people to manipulate for a cause, and AI can’t do that.” That’s accurate and misleading. Generative AI tools are well known for being less than truthful. Technically not intelligent, AI simply arranges words with no concept of true or false. These programs will create their own statistics, sources, quotes and more. This quickly becomes your problem, but it’s easily prevented if you…
Third, slow down
Most people who use AI frequently cite its service as a time saver. If you’re a slow writer like I am, that is an appealing promise. If your goal as a writer is speed and producing a quantity of words, then maybe AI is for you. If your goals, however, are clarity, accuracy, and communicating your ideas to people, then you can afford to slow down and get it right. (Guess which goal is the right one).
You can use AI to help you write, but not to have it write for you. Is it true that AI tools will get to know your style and become even better and easier to use over time? I don’t know about that. But you’ll become a better writer over time if you write more. In the meantime, when using any generative AI programs, know that…
Fourth, better input means better output
My friend Bryan Smith is a marketing consultant whose Tuned Consulting business uses AI as one of several tools to help business owners create more efficient sales and marketing processes. “I treat AI like it’s a new employee I’m training,” said Smith. “I give it specific instructions and I expect it to make mistakes. I know I will need to manage it thoughtfully through the entire process.”
Good output comes from good input. If you don’t have that kind of patience, then expect fast but questionable results from generative AI tools. And always remember...
The No. 1 rule of writing: It’s all about the reader.
When I started writing this column, I could have easily focused it on my desire to tell you all my negative opinions about AI. While I think I got a few of those across, I tried to write constructively with you in mind. You’re going to use ChatGPT and other gen AI tools; I want to make your use more successful.
My opinions about generative AI tools are important only if backed up by my experiences using them and my years of work as a writer. Generative AI tools are not going away, I know that. And these tools will improve but not on their own organically. AI will get better only if we all use it better. Write first, fact-check always, and remember good writing is never about you. It’s about what your reader needs and comprehends.
Yes, I did ask ChatGPT to review this piece, and I used some of the suggestions it gave me (only because my wife wasn’t home).