Using AI Without Losing Your Voice

The subtle, pandering cadence. A dash of unabashed enthusiasm. The demure cheerleading, setting up the inevitable kicker pivoted through a brazen emdash. We’ve all seen the proliferation of the AI generated, edited, ghost-written corporate speak; a bit too eloquent, sing-song, and shallow all at once.

AI is an exceptional and transformational tool — I am not here to criticize anybody on using this tool to accelerate the creative process, aid in communication, or cut through writers block. Most of us aren’t here writing the next great American Classic. We are here to communicate ideas, drive outcomes, and keep our teams unblocked! But it is also critical that AI is not used as a crutch which obscures the objective, and that’s exactly what we are seeing more and more every day. The tables have turned; it is so easy to generate content that we risk shifting the burden of work onto the reader, consumer, and customer!

Here are my three “DOs” and three “Do NOTs” for good AI writing in a corporate setting:

The Three DOs

#1 DO use AI to Frame the Narrative

Good communication requires thoughtful structure, clear thesis, and intentional flow. I like working on planning and layout with AI tools. This works well for both writing and coding. Articulate your goal, audience, and outcomes. Don’t ask for the content, but do ask for a thoughtful shape and narrative to make your point sharp and impactful!

#2 DO use AI to Draft your Message

It can often be easier to edit than to create. Ask for a draft — but ask for a structural draft, with sections to fill in and approach with an expectation that you will be reviewing, editing, adding, deleting, and making changes. Be open to big changes. Systematic changes. Blatant corrections. A draft can be exactly what you need to move into that reactive editing mode that gets you into the flow.

#3 DO use AI to Revise and Edit

When I’m happy with an email I’ll often ask AI to take a quick pass to catch typos, inconsistent messages, or superfluous content. I’ll often tell it that I’m happy with the structure — focus on the finishing touches and tactical recommendations. I control the content, but who wouldn’t take a second set of eyes before hitting send to a dozen stakeholders? It’s a great way to level the playing field if English may not be your first language. This turns AI into a tool, not a crutch

The Three DO NOTs

#1 DO NOT use AI and Send without Reading (and Editing!)

Researching a new topic that piques your interest, but don’t have the time to read every detail from your quick AI investigation? Me neither! Modern models like to be verbose, but sending a novel along on a topic you just stumbled on doesn’t make you look smart. A colleague recently sent me a “15 minute read” but told me not to bother if I didn’t have the time. I asked Copilot to summarize, thinking I was being savvy. It did an exceptional job distilling down to a 14 minute read instead! Stop proliferating the slop; read, edit, or summarize; your readers will appreciate the human level of curation.

#2 DO NOT 1-shot your Think Piece

You have a great idea, you send it to Copilot or Claude, and the result feels incredibly validating! In under a minute you have a 15 minute read which feels better stated than anything you could have written in an hour. Wait… don’t hit send. Not yet! You will end up with much better product if you work in parts. Frame, Draft, and Edit (in that order). If it’s worth putting your name and brand on it then it’s worth some time, attention, and structure to get it right!

#3 DO NOT Value Quantity over Quality

In an age when content is so easy to generate it’s actually the succinct, thoughtful curated message that will have the greatest impact! Good business writing gets the point across declaratively, with clear messaging on impact, ownership, timelines, and next steps. AI content has a tendency to be repetitive, circling and justifying and complimenting. It’s a nice conversation but it may not be an effective communication. Push back — make sure the message you want comes through with strength and clarity — and leave the quantity for another day.

AI is a great tool for anybody spending their day in the Microsoft Office suite. My ask of everybody reading: let’s channel these tools to make the tedious work a little less painful, but maintain the human element. Avoid AI as a crutch, and be hyper-aware of the content burden you may be unintentionally shifting to your colleagues, stakeholders, and teams.