I have been teaching people how to use AI productively for some time now, and the one thing I always emphasise is this,
AI is a tool, not a substitute for your judgement or your voice.
If you want to write a blog the way I write a blog, the good news is that the same approach works for anyone. After more than twelve years of blogging, I know what makes a post successful, but I also know how long proper research and proofreading can take. That is where AI can help without taking anything away from the integrity of the work.
It scares me that I am so successful at giving Barnaby Joyce so much oxygen but in this case he did “grope” a very good friend and this blog was written well before anyone knew what AI would be capable of ( I might run it through AI now and see what it says 😄😄)
Right now, community members regularly send me information they would like explained, unpacked or placed in context. Sometimes that information sits outside my expertise. When that happens, I place everything I have been given into AI and say fact check this and give me references for every claim. This is vital because it helps me avoid amplifying errors that circulate online.
Once I have verified information, I write the blog myself. Every idea, every sentence, every framing choice is mine. When the draft is complete, I use AI again for the practical steps that usually take hours, spelling, clarity checks and suggestions that improve readability. We all know how long proofreading takes and this is one task AI can do in seconds.
I also ask it to format the piece so the structure guides the reader and the length stays within that sweet spot where people do not scroll past ( otherwise known as TL:DR). After that, I ask for SEO # tags and share tags so the post lands where it needs to land.
None of that replaces experience. None of it replaces judgement or voice.
The work is mine. AI simply perfects the polish. It allows me to spend my time where it matters, thinking clearly, listening to the community and writing in a way that is accessible, trusted and human.
AI doesn’t think for me. It sharpens the work I’m already doing.
BTW Kiama Tourism rates the power of AI so highly for local businesses they ran an event on it
AI was front and centre, with Liz Ward of Tourism Tribe leading the charge.
As another very important aside ( do hope you haven’t got to the TL:DR point)
AI does not replace experience, judgement or voice. It simply sharpens the work I am already doing. It also matters to recognise that AI is a new set of skills, and like any skill, it helps to learn from people who already know the terrain.
These days you need a licence to drive a car, and you only get that licence after someone qualified decides you have done the hard yards.
This is also why I have such a large network. I have always recognised that other people hold skills I do not, and it matters to have those people in my inner circle. It lifts the standard of my work and broadens the way I see the world.
Refusing to use AI is a bit like announcing you will ride your horse to Sydney because cars seem a bit modern. You can do it, of course, but everyone will know you made life harder than it needed to be.
And thank goodness calculators were invented. My mathematical skills alone would not have advanced civilisation.
BTW I am confident the entire Kiama Community will be grateful when Kiama Municipal Council start using it so their communication is less aggressive, less patronising and they remember it’s not all about them.
Perhaps they could sign up for my workshops!!!
#UsingAI #CommunityVoices #EthicalWriting #DigitalSkills #ResponsibleTech