Working with AI
Everywhere you look, there are proclamations that AI is the future. Soon, the futurologists say, AI will replace writers and editors and a million other professions. Maybe, maybe not. But I certainly don’t want to be the old guy that never kept up with the world he lives in.
So earlier this year I tried ChatGPT 3.5. It wasn’t terrible, but it felt like a bit of a novelty. It wasn’t so useful that I felt compelled to keep using it. Now, in August, someone on Threads suggested that I try ChatGPT 4. It offers noticeable improvements but I wouldn’t call it amazing.
Useful tips for ChatGPT 4
Submit a draft with one or more of the following prompts:
| Prompt | Result |
|---|---|
| Describe the writing style of the following text. | A list of about 10 characteristics of the piece, each with a short description, and a flattering reassurance about the quality of my writing. |
| What improvements can be made to this piece? | A list of about 10 types of improvements that could be made. |
| Check the following text for grammatical errors and consistency, but make no other changes. | Performed basic editing without significantly changing the text. |
| List five to seven questions a customer is likely to have about the topic. | A list of seven decent questions to follow up on. |
Tips:
- If you want it to identify possible revisions without modifying anything, be specific by saying something like, “Make no changes.” Otherwise you will have to proofread the proofreader.
- Asking it to proofread while maintaining the tone of a more casual blog post did not go well. The AI went very heavy on slang. For example:
Year-end? Perfect time to lay down and spruce up your standard operating procedures. One big hiccup for growing businesses? All the magic's stuck in one brain. Spilling that magic onto paper (or screen) where the whole crew can peek? Game-changer, right there. Written workflows? They're like growth steroids for your team. Because, hello, they get a roadmap for every task. Feeling swamped just thinking about scribbling it all down? [TOOL]'s got your back—making documenting all your workflows a breeze.