AI chatbot usage is now strictly regulated in education and content writing, as passing machine-generated content for human-produced is a violation of academic and professional honor codes, and entails repercussions. But AI tools are not the ultimate evil! When implemented correctly, the chatbot can become that writing buddy and brainstorming companion many of us lack while struggling with the text. The golden rule here is simple: recruit AI for a creativity boost, but never ask it to write instead of you!
Here are some ways to utilize AI chatbots to enhance your workflow.
Experiment with style
The tone of voice is everything, but how do you pick one, especially addressing a new audience? Chat GPT can help you experiment. Prompt AI to write for your target reader, or as your imaginary audience would talk about your subject, and see what it looks like. If it sounds right, you can just pick it up from there and go with your writing. If it’s odd, you can try something else–the good thing about chatbot is it is tireless and fast, so you can make as many attempts as needed! If you are struggling with writer’s block, why not go crazy and try a little mesh-up? Ask the chatbot to write about astronomy in Jane Austen style–you may be surprised by the ways we find inspiration!
Prompt example:
“Act as a first-grade student…”
“Write for marketologists…”
“Mimic J. K. Rowling style…”
Be precise
AI is quite precise in following your instructions. So, you should be accurate in your prompts to get the result you need. Don’t ask to generate “Title ideas for greeting email,” better specify your request to “5 ideas for email title greeting doctors to professional holiday, no more than 6 words each.” The more details you include in your prompt, the better the output will fit your needs.
Prompt example:
“Give ideas for amusing summer-break themed e-mails for students, not longer than 30 words”
“Generate five titles for an article about mental well-being, 60 symbols each”
“Write a description for this article, no longer than 20 words”.
Ask for examples
A good writer always aims to draw a vivid picture for the reader, give them examples they can relate to, and provoke emotion. But it is not always that easy. A chatbot can help you exemplify the situation, so you can take it as an idea and implement it in the text in your own words. Moreover, the AI’s ideas on how to illustrate your writing can remind you of your experiences and give a gentle nudge to your imagination, so you can come up with your own instances more easily.
Prompt example:
“Give examples of the outdated words that were popular in the past but are not used now”
“Generate examples of situations when people need to go to the doctor immediately”
“Give an example of a very sophisticated meal that can be served only in a posh restaurant”
Get explanation
We can’t write about the subject we don’t quite understand. But certainly, one is incapable of knowing everything, and there is not always time for research with the pressing deadlines. Panic aside, ask Chat GPT to help! The AI model is trained to pick the most relevant information available online, process it, and give it in a digestible form of output. Basically, that’s what you need to dig into the matter without spending weeks on research!
Pro-tip: for especially complicated subjects don’t be shy and ask GPT to explain it to you “as to a kindergartener.” Chatbot won’t tell anyone, but chances are you will finally get that concept of quantum singularity–at least, in broad strokes!
Prompt example:
“Explain the photosynthesis concept in a few sentences”
“Explain how the human hormonal system works, keep it short”
“Explain what atomic physics studies as to a child”
Enrich vocabulary
When struggling to find the exact right words, ask AI for assistance. It happens, that we forget idioms or how to call some concepts even in our language; hesitate to invent another synonym for the same word, or need a more fancy/informal way to name the subject. Chatbots will be helpful in all those cases: just give the right prompt and choose the word that suits your context.
Prompt example:
“Give 10 synonyms to the word beautiful”
“Generate slang words for nice”
“What is the word for second-year students at university?”
Name exceptions
Sometimes you may not know what exactly you need, but definitely know what doesn’t work for you. And that’s something you can start with too! If all sources give you the same information, or you have decided not to mention particular points in your text, mention exceptions in your Chat GPT prompt so you avoid information overload and get the refined data you need.
Prompt example:
“Give examples of academic integrity violations except for AI misuse”
“Write a text about mental well-being issues without mentioning anxiety”
“Give me the best cake recipe ingredients, excluding strawberries”
Generate ideas
Everything starts with the idea, and those are the hardest to produce. When feeling stuck in front of a blank page, pick AI’s brain to find a new angle. Even if you don’t use any of the suggested concepts, thinking about them may spark your inspiration and push you toward better solutions. After all, brainstorming is how the best ideas are born!
Prompt example:
“Generate ten ideas for unusual greetings for professional holiday”
“Give five themes for a gardening-themed magazine”
“Write twelve topics for essays on David Copperfield novel”
The bottom line: AI tools are here to stay, and instead of banning them the best way to remain up-to-date is to learn to implement them ethically, to the benefit of the author and the writing. When in doubt, use an AI detector to ensure the final text is recognized as authentic, and an Integrito Activity Report to track the writing process. This way, you’ll safeguard creativity, authenticity, and honesty–and what’s more important for a professional?
