Brain Meets Pen: Navigating AI and Writing Responsibly
How to Harness AI Responsibly as Writers
Artificial intelligence. The bane and boon of every writer. It's here to stay, so living without it is impossible, but the hurdles it introduces to the writing process make living with it even more so.
When harnessed appropriately, artificial intelligence can enhance writing and make us better writers. However, the rise of AI plagiarism is a growing concern. How do we bring the artificial brain and pen together in a responsible, ethical manner? How do we bring the artificial brain, the human one and the pen together?
The Benefits of Artificial Intelligence for Writing
AI helps generate ideas and outlines, which can make Writer's Block ancient history. It also offers phrasing suggestions, which can make the pen mightier than the sword, for want of a better phrase. Writers can use it to generate engaging fiction story outlines, reducing the anxiety of the blank page. By offering new tones and writing styles, it inspires thought.
Tools like Chat GPT can also assist with repetitive tasks such as editing for grammar and formatting, making writers more productive. It also enhances the clarity of expression, speeding up the early stages of writing. When used responsibly, it strengthens the writing process without compromising a writer's unique voice.
Why Writers Must Be Responsible When Using AI
AI is a welcome tool that allows writers to have a much-needed breather. But this tool can become dangerous if wrongly wielded.
AI tools can compromise authenticity, ethics and a writer's credibility. Over-relying on it can lead to c work that seems too generic - the classic cookie-cutter syndrome.
Bots like Chat GPT and Deep Seek can make unintentional plagiarism a real threat. AI can echo existing works. Undisclosed or even disclosed use can damage trust with editors and fellow writers. Audiences who expect 'the real deal' --human-crafted work--will be alienated.
Above all, writing is a deeply personal endeavour that requires time, thought, insight and feeling. While AI can make suggestions and shape ideas, it cannot and should never replace the heart in the pen.
Real-Life Scenarios: When AI Aids the Writing Process
After staring at a blank screen for hours to write an article entitled "10 ways to reduce burnout", a writer can turn to an AI tool to give Writer's Block the boot.
But instead of asking it to write the article, he can prompt it: "Can you suggest a few tips for reducing burnout in point form?"
The tool can suggest taking outdoor breaks or setting timelines, while writers can use the suggestions to prompt thought. Combined with personal experience and expert sources, they can generate original pieces in their voices.
Real-Life Scenario: When AI Harms the Writing Process
I teach English as a Second Language, so this scenario is familiar and one of my favourites to highlight--_student plagiarism.
I often remind my teen charges not to hand in essays that bots have produced. These are easy enough to spot ---they are not in sync with their current linguistic capabilities.
Fortunately for their progress and credibility, they cannot do this in open exams!
When Brain Meets Pen: Responsible AI Use in Writing
Firstly, use Chat GPT and other AI tools as support, not ghostwriters. AI can initiate ideas or rephrase awkward sentences--but they are not the real deal Writers should let their voices and intent lead.
Always fact-check. AI can sometimes generate outdated information, so cross-check its facts against other platforms before citing them.
Remember the human touch. No story, article or poem can pass as one without a writer's style. Readers can identify that right away.
Use the right tool to complete tasks. Grammarly or ProWritingAid can assist with editing mistakes in grammar or phrasing. ChatGPT can suggest topics that a writer can explore.
The brain can meet the pen when brought together responsibly and with integrity.
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This article is entirely original. AI tags are coincidental.
About the Creator
Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin
Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.
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Comments (5)
This is so much better than "don't use it at all!" Let's face it, if we've ever used spellcheck, that's a form of AI, right? Grammarly is AI. One fun thing I like to do occasionally, is give AI a prompt I've just used to make a story, and then compare it to what I've come up with, before I submit or publish. At first this was just to reassure myself that AI wasn't really a strong competitor (yet). But it also reassures me that my work is not likely to be mistaken for AI. If it looks too similar, then I know I need to edit it. Partly because I don't want people to think I let AI write stories for me, but also because AI is a study in mediocrity, pulling from existing works. If what I've written sounds AI-ish, then it lacks heart and originality. It needs re-working and elevating before I can hit Publish.
I use ChatGPT for research purposes. I just find it easier than Googling something. I also use it for fact checking. You've listed a lot of ways to use AI responsibly! I hope this gets a Top Story so more people would know about this
You bring up lots of good points in this, Michelle! Especially the part about AI echoing the existing work of others. It is pulling the source for its "ideas" from somewhere. It is a great tool and I use it in helping with lesson prep from time to time and actually helping me examine AI created content to see how it was composed. I teach Multilingual students at the middle school level and AI use in that area hasn't been too much of a problem yet, but I imagine by the time they get to high school the temptation to rely on it will become all too real
Really thoughtful piece—you capture the tension writers feel about AI so well. It’s a great tool when used with care, but nothing can replace the heart and voice a real writer brings to the page.
THIS. I’m so glad you wrote this. It also feels like a refreshing read and not a scary warning label. I’m writing a mini series of exactly this! When balance of a good thing gets taken too far. And now everyone, even a whole era are alike with no genuine people anymore, the death of creativity so to speak. Before AI we would google ideas to help us write or to get definitions and compare words for elegance before choosing one. I think saying the term “ AI” itself is what’s daunting. When really it’s just easier to compose things. It does the sane amount of work a person would just in less time. Like why would anyone manually bullet print your ideas out when you can insert those ideas to outlined for you? So as an advancement to our world in General it helps, but without balance you lose your talent, and like you said even your reputation is ruined. I refuse to use it in creative writing. But as an independent journalist I find it highly useful in my work, getting formatting, outlining, spell checking etc. but I love this article because people need to k ow it’s not mean to write your story, but help you clean it up. Great read!