My strategy for writing with AI

AI models are getting better, cheaper, and smaller. In a world saturated with machine intelligence, here's how I use it to write better

Costs for GPT-4 class models has dropped 99.7% and even the most advanced models today are 82% cheaper, says Ethan Mollick.

I've been using AI daily since it came out and I agree: the latest models are truly astounding. Here's the strategy I use to write with AI while keeping the thinking my own.

Three sides to every story

I've met people who refuse to use AI; some of them have questioned what they assume is my overreliance on it.

I've also met some who lean on AI for everything, churning out AI sludge you could spot a mile away.

There's a middle path: using AI as a versatile tool for ideas and fine-tuned wordsmithing - not as a crutch.

1. Clarity over verbosity

Writing clearly is a craft. Pause. Think. Good writing is less about saying more and more about saying it better.

2. Know the end point

What are you trying to achieve? If you don't know exactly what you want to see, you'll end up with pages of synthetic filler that say everything yet communicate nothing.

3. Use AI to know its limitations

Forget AI prompt templates. The latest models grasp nuance and context with ease.

That said, the right techniques still matter, as well as knowing the model's limitations. And to truly understand them, you have to use them.

What about you? How do you use AI to write?