Show Notes: Episode 182 – Writing with ChatGPT

Click here for a full transcript of the episode.

ChatGPT can be a helpful tool for getting your thoughts out of your head and into the world, but it shouldn’t be used as a replacement for your own thought genius being shared. It’s great at generating text, but it can’t match your originality and emotional impact.

ChatGPT is easy to use and saves you time because it writes so quickly and efficiently. It can also function as a research assistant; you can enter a topic and it will do the research for you. It really shines at brainstorming, and it can give you sample wording.

Be very specific in your prompt to ChatGPT; if your prompt is too broad, you’ll get too much information. It also can’t replace writing something in your own human, authentic style. Information you get from ChatGPT can be biased or even outdated and inaccurate, so it’s important to review it to make sure the facts check out and the content aligns with your values. You should also proofread it for grammar, punctuation, and spelling – ChatGPT is not perfect! Watch out for plagiarism issues, as well.

Get clear on your audience and your purpose before any writing. Your writing should be organized with an introduction, body, and conclusion (ChatGPT can be a big help here!). If you want something to sound exactly like you, don’t delegate it or use ChatGPT to write it. Watch the tone of any ChatGPT output, because it can tend negative given that ChatGPT doesn’t have feelings. It also doesn’t handle complex or ambiguous situations very effectively; make sure the document is clear for you and your audience. Avoid long words and long sentences – keep things quick and easy to understand. ChatGPT typically writes in lists, so if you want paragraphs ask for that specifically. Watch for inconsistent formatting in lists, and proofread for accuracy, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and facts.

In this episode’s listener question, we’re asked whether an org can refuse to rehire an employee who is terminated for taking unapproved leave or not providing medical documentation. In the news, remote workers are taking less vacation than their in-office counterparts.